TRANSPORT

A1: Speed Limits

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason a 50 mph speed limit has been imposed via temporary speed limit signs on the A1 southbound north of Alwalton.

Michael Penning: A temporary 50 mph speed limit has been put in place on the A1 southbound just north of Alwalton for a distance of approx one mile. It is necessary to mitigate a risk relating to the integrity of the central reserve safety fencing which no longer reaches acceptable performance standards.

Biofuels

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what countries the UK imported biofuel from in the last year for which information is available;
	(2)  if he will estimate the effect on the level of greenhouse gas emissions arising from the production of biofuel in the UK;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the potential effects of biofuel production on (a) food prices and (b) greenhouse gas emissions in the UK;
	(4)  what estimate he has made of the amount of land expected to be used for biofuel production in the UK in the next five years.

Norman Baker: holding answer 13 June 2011
	The Renewable Fuels Agency's second annual report to Parliament on the impacts of the renewable transport fuels obligation (RTFO) is available at:
	http://www.renewablefuelsagency.gov.uk/sites/rfa/files/Year_Two_RTFO_v2.pdf
	This report covers the period April 2009 to April 2010 and includes verified data of biofuel supplied in the UK by country of origin and land use, where known, and reports the performance of biofuels supplied in the UK in respect of annual greenhouse gas emissions savings. No estimate is made of the amount of land expected to be used for biofuel production in the UK in the next five years.
	The RTFO unit in the Department for Transport now administers the RTFO. The RTFO unit produce statistics on biofuels containing unverified data related biofuel performance which are available at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/biofuels/
	The renewable energy directive (RED) requires the UK to ensure that 10% of energy consumed in transport comes from renewable sources by 2020 and that biofuels used towards this target meet a number of mandatory sustainability criteria. These include that biofuels must deliver a greenhouse gas saving of at least 35%, rising to 50% in 2017 and to 60%, for biofuels from new plants, in 2018.
	In January this year, as required by the RED, my Department provided a report on the regional level estimates of greenhouse gas emissions arising from cultivation of biofuels feedstocks in the UK. The report is available at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/environment/renewable-fuels/biofuelscultivation/
	In January this year a report prepared by a cross-Whitehall group of officials (the Global Food Markets Group) titled “Agricultural price spikes 2007/2008: Causes and policy implications” was published. The report considered the causes of the 2008 food price spike and concluded that biofuels were not a particularly significant driver, with other factors such as the price of oil and adverse weather conditions being greater contributors. It is archived at:
	http://archive.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/food/security/price.htm
	Under the RED, the European Commission must monitor and report every two years on the impact of biofuel policy and increased demand for biofuel on social sustainability. This will include reporting on the availability of foodstuffs at affordable prices.

First Capital Connect

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received on the train failure incident involving a First Capital Connect service near Kentish Town on the evening of 26 May 2011.

Norman Baker: I have received one piece of correspondence and the Department for Transport has received two pieces of correspondence from members of the public concerning the incident near Kentish Town on 26 May.
	An investigation is currently underway by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch into the incidents that led to the failure of the train service. I have asked to see a copy of their report.

Maritime and Coastguard Agency: Scotland

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent estimate he has made of the monetary value of each Maritime and Coastguard Agency property in Scotland.

Michael Penning: holding answer 27 June 2011
	The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) occupies 115 properties and maintains 48 radio sites in Scotland, some of which we own. The total value of these is £7.5 million.
	This is based on the net book values for properties on our balance sheet as at 31 March 2011 and is based on either a depreciated replacement cost or an existing use value, which ever is the more appropriate. These values are updated annually and will differ from market values.
	I have arranged for this information to be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will include hydrogen in the renewable transport fuels obligation; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Baker: holding answer 28 June 2011
	The renewable energy directive (RED) requires member states to source 10% of the energy use in transport from renewable sources by 2020. While the RED does allow for the use of renewable hydrogen to meet this target, there is not currently a methodology in place for calculating the contribution of hydrogen from renewable sources. However, the directive does require the European Commission to come forward with a proposal for such a method by 31 December 2011.
	The renewable transport fuel obligation (RTFO) requires fossil fuel suppliers to supply a certain percentage of the total volume of fuel they supply as biofuel. We are currently considering responses to our “Consultation on the implementation of the transport elements of the Renewable Energy Directive” and intend to publish a summary of responses to that public consultation shortly. In that consultation paper we did not propose any amendment to the RTFO to allow renewable hydrogen to be eligible for renewable transport fuel certificates but proposed to keep this issue under review as the European Commission develops a methodology to account for renewable hydrogen.

Trade Unions

John Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Esher and Walton of 17 June 2011, Official Report, column 1024W, on trade unions, how many people were employed in (a) his Department, (b) the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, (c) the Driving Standards Agency, (d) the Government Car and Despatch Agency, (e) the Highways Agency, (f) the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, (g) the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency and (h) the Vehicles Certification Agency in 2010-11; and what proportion of the workforce in each case were (i) full-time and (ii) part-time trade union representatives.

Norman Baker: holding answer 28 June 2011
	The number of those employed within the central Department and its seven Executive agencies and the proportion of the work force that were (i) full-time and (ii) part-time trade union representatives are given in the following table:
	
		
			  Headcount 2010-11 Proportion of full-time representatives (percentage) Proportion of part-time representatives (percentage) 
			 DFT 2,160 0.14 0.79 
			 MCA 1,147 0.09 3.23 
			 VCA 155 0.00 4.52 
			 HA 3,907 0.05 2.38 
			 DSA 2,607 0.15 1.73 
			 VOSA 2,294 0.13 1.35 
			 DVLA 6,582 0.12 0.56 
			 GCDA 285 0.00 2.46

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Affordable Housing

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Westmorland and Lonsdale of 26 February 2008, Official Report, column 885, on affordable housing, how many affordable homes were completed in communities of fewer than 3,000 in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10.

Grant Shapps: The following table shows the number of affordable homes completed in rural areas with a population of less than 3,000 through the Homes and Communities Agency's National Affordable Housing Programme in 2008-09 and 2009-10:
	
		
			 Completion year Social rent Low cost home ownership Total 
			 2008-09 1,726 689 2,415 
			 2009-10 2,205 671 2,876 
			 Source: Homes and Communities Agency Investment Management System

Affordable Housing: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will assess the effects of the FirstBuy scheme on the private sector housing market in Peterborough constituency; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: FirstBuy is designed to maintain capacity in the housebuilding industry in the short-term while assisting nearly 10,500 first time buyers, who are struggling with a deposit, to realise their home ownership aspirations.
	The scheme will help maintain confidence in the housing market as house builders will be able to build new homes knowing that first time buyers will be able to purchase these properties. This confidence will attract further investment in house building.
	An individual assessment of the effects of FirstBuy on specific local housing markets has not been undertaken. However, identified sites which met local authority priorities scored more highly when developer offers were considered by the Homes and Communities Agency.

Affordable Housing: Wirral

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Wirral South of 1 April 2008, Official Report, column 491W, on affordable housing: Wirral South, how many new affordable homes were provided in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10; and how many of those were for social rent in each year.

Andrew Stunell: Statistics on the number of additional affordable homes delivered in each local authority can be found on the Department for Communities and Local Government's website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/affordablehousingsupply/livetables/
	The following table presents figures for total additional supply (new build and acquisitions) of affordable housing for Wirral local authority:
	
		
			  2008-09 2009-10 
			 Total additional affordable homes 80 190 
			 Of which:   
			 For social rent 60 140 
			 Note: Figures are rounded to nearest 10. Source: DCLG official statistics on gross additional affordable supply (Live Table 1006 and 1008), compiled from HCA and other data sources.

Audit Commission

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 3 May 2011, Official Report, column 663W, on the Audit Commission, what the business case was for the expenditure by the Commission of the Board on a dinner at Bentley's Seafood Restaurant.

Bob Neill: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to respond to my hon. Friend direct.
	The expenditure was incurred under the last Administration. Ministers in this Government do not consider such practices to be a good use of taxpayers' money.
	Letter from Eugene Sullivan, dated 29 June 2011
	The Audit Commission Board held dinners on the evening before some Board meetings, to allow Commissioners a slightly less formal opportunity for discussion and debate. A review of the Board's effectiveness, required under our Corporate Governance Framework, confirmed that these were valuable and should continue. On occasion, executive staff, and DCLG colleagues, also attended.
	The dinner at Bentley's Seafood Restaurant, on 3 March 2010, was one such dinner.

Eco-towns

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer to the right hon. Member for Leicester East of 18 February 2008, Official Report, column 53W, on eco-towns, how many homes were built in eco-towns up to April 2010; and what proportion of dwellings were (a) affordable housing, (b) social rent and (c) low-cost home ownership.

Grant Shapps: There were no homes built before April 2010 in eco-towns. In my statement of 17 May 2011, Official Report, columns 7-9WS, I set out our commitment to zero carbon development, and from 2016 all new homes going through the planning system will be required to be built to a zero carbon standard, and all new non-domestic buildings from 2019.

EU Grants and Loans

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what arrangements his Department has made to process European regional development fund expenditure from 1 July 2011.

Bob Neill: The current European regional development fund teams in the regional development agencies are transferring to my Department to ensure that existing experience and knowledge is not lost. These teams will continue to manage the day to day operation of the fund and a process is in place to ensure that payments to projects can be made from DCLG from 1 July.
	These new arrangements will also allow the Government to address better the financial irregularities in the administration of the programme that we have inherited from the last Government—as outlined in my Department's press release of 7 July 2010.

Fair Play Campaign

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent (a) discussions he has had with and (b) representations he has received from the Fair Play Campaign; what issues were discussed; what response he gave to the representations; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, the right hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles) and I have not met or had any direct discussions or received any representations from the Fair Play Campaign Group but we meet regularly with the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council under whose auspices the campaign operates.

Housing

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Crosby of 20 May 2008, Official Report, column 266W, on housing, what the change in the number of homeowners was in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10.

Grant Shapps: The Department for Communities and Local Government’s English Housing Survey estimates that in 2009-10 there were 14,525,000 owner-occupied households in England, down by 97,000 from 2008-09 when there were 14,621,000.
	These figures, together with other results from the 2009-10 English Housing Survey can be found in the latest Headline Report on the Department for Communities and Local Government website at the following link.
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/ehs200910headlinereport

Housing: Sales

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will estimate the proportion of home sales (a) to first-time buyers and (b) all buyers in (i) the UK, (ii) England and (iii) each region that were made to people who were not resident in the UK in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Andrew Stunell: The Council of Mortgage Lenders publish data on the number of first time buyers buying a home with a mortgage in the UK, but not for geographies below national level.
	The latest data can be found at:
	http://www.cml.org.uk/cml/media/press/2938
	The Department is not aware of figures which estimate the residential property sales made to people who are not resident in the UK.

Mayors

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government from which cities or towns, other than the 12 largest English cities in England, his Department has received expressions of interest in introducing directly-elected mayors.

Bob Neill: We have not invited expressions of interest from other local authorities.

Non-domestic Rates: Empty Property

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the contribution to the Exchequer from the empty property rate regime was in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11; and what estimate he has made of the contribution to the Exchequer in each of the next five years.

Bob Neill: Data on the national non-domestic rates revenue raised from empty properties are not held centrally.
	Data on the amount of empty property relief granted in 2008-09 and 2009-10 and the amount forecast to be granted in 2010-11 and 2011-12 are as follows:
	
		
			 Table 1: Empty property rate relief since 2008-09 
			 £ million 
			  Empty property relief 
			 2008-09 487.0 
			   
			 2009-10 1,117.9 
			   
			 2010-11(B) 907.8 
			   
			 2011-12(B) 757.3 
			 Blank rows indicate discontinuity. Note: Data are as reported to Communities and Local Government by all billing authorities in England on the annual national non-domestic rates returns. Source:  Data for 2008-09 to 2009-10 are outturn figures; (B) those for 2010-11 and 2011-12 are budget estimates. 
		
	
	I also refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 8 February 2011, Official Report column 178W.

Public Order Offences: Bye Laws

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations he has received from local authorities on the introduction of a byelaw relating to spitting in public spaces; what consideration he has given to such representations; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: While the Department has recently received correspondence on this issue, the Department has not received any byelaw applications from local authorities in the last three years relating to spitting.

Renewable Energy: Planning Permission

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what his policy is on permitted development rights for air source heat pumps;
	(2)  what his policy is on permitted development rights for onshore wind turbines.

Bob Neill: My Department is committed to amending the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 to introduce permitted development rights for air source heat pumps and onshore wind turbines on domestic properties, and to report to Parliament on doing the same for non-domestic premises, as part of our agenda to support renewable energy and low carbon technologies.

SCOTLAND

Capita

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many contracts his Department has awarded to Capita since May 2010; and what the (a) individual monetary value and (b) net worth was of those contracts.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office has not awarded any contracts to Capita since May 2010.

Children: Maintenance

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has discussed the potential effects in Scotland of proposals to change child support schemes with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

Michael Moore: Across Government we are working to ensure that the Scottish Government are consulted as appropriate.

Children: Maintenance

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with (a) the Scottish Government, (b) the Convention of Scottish local authorities and (c) civic society organisations in Scotland on proposals to change child support schemes; on what dates such discussions took place; and whether it took place orally or in writing in each case.

Michael Moore: The Department for Work and Pensions leads on this matter, and received a number of responses from a range of Scottish organisations during its recent Green paper consultation which have been shared with the Scotland Office. Across Government we will continue to work with the Scottish Government to take forward the Government's plans for reform of child maintenance in Britain.

Departmental Billing

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many invoices received by his Department have been paid (a) on time and (b) late in each month since May 2010; and what the monetary value is of the invoices paid late.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office aims to pay invoices within five days of receipt. During the period 1 May 2010 to 31 May 2011, the following targets were met:
	
		
			  Paid within five days   
			  Number Percentage Number of invoices paid late Monetary value of late payments (£) 
			 May 2010 80 94.1 5 1,604.64 
			 June 2010 102 99 1 285.52 
			 July 2010 104 98.1 2 63.18 
			 August 2010 87 100 0 0 
			 September 2010 85 98.8 1 528.75 
			 October 2010 88 100 0 0 
			 November 2010 87 98.9 1 £244.40 
			 December 2010 122 98.4 2 1,581.16 
			 January 2011 74 98.7 1 900 
			 February 2011 67 100 0 0 
			 March 2011 129 99.2 1 4,582.67 
			 April 2011 93 100 0 0 
			 May 2011 57 98.3 1 60 
		
	
	However, 100% of invoices received during this period were paid within the contractual 30-day term.

INDEPENDENT PARLIAMENTARY STANDARDS AUTHORITY COMMITTEE

Members: Allowances

Adam Afriyie: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, 
	(1)  what assessment the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has made of the effectiveness of its schemes in restoring public confidence and trust in (a) hon. Members first elected in May 2010, (b) other hon. Members and (c) Parliament;
	(2)  whether the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has made an assessment of the extent to which hon. Members are funding their parliamentary duties from personal resources;
	(3)  what proportion of the savings to the public purse achieved by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority in its first 10 months of operation is attributable to (a) resettlement grants, (b) parliamentary pensions, (c) winding-up allowances and (d) other exceptional payments made to retiring hon. Members in the final year of the previous House of Commons scheme;
	(4)  what estimate the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has made of the likely level of savings to the public purse it will achieve in respect of the salaries, staffing and expenses budgets of hon. Members in 2011-12 compared to 2010-11;
	(5)  whether the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has made an assessment of the effects of its schemes on the mental health and well-being of hon. Members.

Charles Walker: It has not been possible to provide a response to these questions by the named day. Answers will be provided as soon as possible.

Operating Costs

Nadhim Zahawi: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, whether the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has reached a decision on the Authority's proposed estimate for 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Walker: The Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority completed its consideration of IPSA's draft estimate 2011-12 on 22 June 2011.
	The Committee was not satisfied that the estimate was consistent with the efficient and cost-effective discharge by IPSA of its functions. The Committee accordingly modified the estimate, as required by statute, to achieve that consistency through the creation of an Unallocated Provision.
	The modified estimate, together with a statement by the Committee under schedule 1 to the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009 (HC 1337) was laid before the House on 23 June 2011.

Telephone Tapping

Helen Jones: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what the policy of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority is on the recording of telephone calls.

Charles Walker: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.
	Letter from Scott Woolveridge, dated  June 2011
	As acting Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the policy is of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority on the recording of telephone calls.
	Our policy is that we reserve the right to record incoming and outgoing telephone calls for training and quality purposes. This policy is stated on our website.

Telephone Tapping

Helen Jones: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, for how long the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority retains recordings of telephone calls; who is authorised to listen to such recordings; and what arrangements are in place for destroying the recordings.

Charles Walker: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.
	Letter from Scott Woolveridge, dated  June 2011
	As acting Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking for how long the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority retains recordings of telephone calls; who is authorised to listen to such recordings; and what arrangements are in place for destroying the recordings.
	Telephone voice recordings are subject to IPSA's Information Management records retention and disposition schedules which specify the period for which they are held. The current policy states that electronic files, which cover telephone recordings, will be retained for a period of six years. When the agreed retention period expires, electronic files will be reviewed and either retained for a further period, if still required for business purposes, or destroyed. The Information Management policy is currently under review and the retention period may change.
	The following members of IPSA's staff are authorised to listen to telephone voice recordings in order both to monitor quality standards and to identify training needs:
	the Deputy Director of Operations;
	the two Team Leaders of the Information Team; and
	the Head of Assurance and Review.
	Additionally, members of IPSA's senior management can request access to specific voice recordings if there is a business requirement for them to do so.
	Destruction of voice recordings will be conducted using either secure data erasure using a CESG's Assisted Products Service (CAPS) product if the media is to be disposed of, or by reformatting and overwriting in accordance with the HMG Base Line Standard if the media is to be reused.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the answer of 6 September 2010, Official Report, columns 304-5W, on the electoral register, what assessment has been made of the progress of the Electoral Commission in improving its reporting process on electoral registration; and if he will make a statement.

Gary Streeter: The Comptroller and Auditor General reported in March 2011 on the Electoral Commission's spending to support the running of elections, including registration. The report was published as the Committee's First Report 2011, “Reports by the Comptroller and Auditor General”, HC 916 (2010-12). It is available via the Committee's webpage:
	www.parliament.uk/scec

WORK AND PENSIONS

Capita

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many contracts his Department has awarded to Capita since May 2010; and what the (a) monetary value and (b) net worth was of each contract.

Chris Grayling: The Department has awarded one contract to Capita Consulting for the Extending Working Life—National Guidance Initiative since May 2010. The total contract value is £1.5 million over a two year period.

Departmental Redundancy

Tessa Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of redundancies in its non-departmental bodies (a) in 2011-12 and (b) over the comprehensive spending review period.

Chris Grayling: The potential costs of staff early releases in the Department's businesses and non-departmental public bodies will mainly be funded centrally and within the limits of the spending review settlement. Specific requirements and potential costs for staff early releases are subject to review and are part of the departmental planning process.
	As part of the approvals process all staff early releases are supported by business cases to ensure efficient work force management, cost control and value for money.
	The Department has not made any separate provision to fund staff early releases from non-departmental public bodies. However, some arm's length bodies including those in receipt of grant in aid funding will have separate arrangements for meeting from their own budgets, the cost of any early releases.

Disability Living Allowance: Care Homes

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the likely effects of his proposed changes to the payment of mobility allowance on transport services paid for and used communally by groups living in residential homes.

Maria Miller: We have made it clear that we will not remove the DLA mobility component from people in residential care from October 2012 and that we would review the existing evidence and gather more to enable us to determine the extent to which there are overlaps in provision for mobility needs of people in residential care homes.
	Any changes to the mobility component for people living in care homes will be made as part of the wider reform of disability living allowance and its replacement with personal independence payment in 2013. We will ensure that when we introduce personal independence payment from April 2013 it treats disabled people fairly, regardless of their place of residence; reducing overlaps of public spending, not disabled people's ability to get out and about.

Employment and Support Allowance: Work Capability Assessment

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 15 June 2011, Official Report, column 824W, on Work Capability Assessment: mental health, what estimate he has made of the average cost of a tribunal appeal against a fitness to work decision for a new employment and support allowance claim where the primary condition was classed as a mental or behavioural disorder in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jonathan Djanogly: I have been asked to reply.
	The average cost for Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (formerly the Tribunals Service) of a completed appeal in the First-tier Tribunal—Social Security and Child Support based on national 2009-10 data is £282.
	Benefit specific calculations are not available because of the high degree of apportionment of costs which would be required.

Employment and Support Allowance: Work Capability Assessment

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 15 June 2011, Official Report, column 824W, on Work Capability Assessment: mental health, what steps his Department is taking to improve the accuracy of fit for work decisions for employment and support allowance claims where the primary condition is classified as a mental or behavioural disorder; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The Work Capability Assessment (WCA) was developed in consultation with medical and other experts alongside specialist disability groups. A department led review of the Work Capability Assessment recommended a number of changes to the WCA. These came into force on 28 March 2011 and are expected to more accurately assess mental, intellectual and cognitive function with a corresponding small increase in support group numbers.
	Recognising that particular concerns have been raised in relation to how the WCA works for people with mental health conditions, Professor Harrington has asked leading charities, including Mind, Mencap and the National Autistic Society, to make recommendations to refine the mental, intellectual and cognitive descriptors used in the WCA as part of his second independent review.
	Additionally, in response to one of Professor Harrington's recommendations in his first review, we have introduced mental, cognitive and intellectual 'champions' into Atos assessment centres to spread best practise in these areas. We are also empowering and improving training for Jobcentre Plus decision makers to put them back at the heart of this system.
	We will continue to review and refine the assessment in the light of experience of its use in practice, as part of a process of continuous improvement.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Hearing Impairment

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) London who are registered as deaf are claiming jobseeker's allowance.

Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available.

RAF Honington: Accidents

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will assess the implications for the policies of the Health and Safety Executive of the time taken to investigate the accident sustained by Mr Philip Flavell while working at RAF Honington on 15 November 2006.

Chris Grayling: HSE has a publicly-accessible procedure that states how inspectors conduct and manage investigations of work-related incidents. Following initial inquiries into the incident to Mr Flavell, a decision was taken, in line with the procedure, not to investigate. There are no wider policy implications of this decision.

Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations

Neil Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department has been monitoring the number of fit notes issued by GPs; and if he will assess trends in the number of such notes being issued.

Chris Grayling: There is no central monitoring of the number of Statements of Fitness for Work (fit notes) issued by GPs. This is due to practical considerations as the form is entirely paper based.
	The fit note is undergoing a formal evaluation which includes a quantitative study exploring trends in the issuance of fit notes in a sample of GPs. This combined with analysis of trends in general sickness absence and social security data as well as qualitative studies with samples of GPs, employers and employees will provide a fuller picture of the impact of fit notes.

PRIME MINISTER

Service Chiefs

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Prime Minister when he last met the 
	(1)  Chief of the Air Staff; and what matters were discussed;
	(2)  Service Chiefs together; and what matters were discussed.

David Cameron: I have regular meetings and discussions with ministerial colleagues and others including the service chiefs.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Aviation

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department has taken to mitigate the effects of aviation on local air quality.

Richard Benyon: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 22 June 2011, Official Report, column 294W, by the Minister of State, Department for Transport, the right hon. Member for Chipping Barnet (Teresa Villiers).

Departmental Public Bodies

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the (a) number of and (b) budget for the public bodies outlined in the Natural Environment White Paper; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: The Natural Environment White Paper (NEWP) does not lead to the creation of any new public bodies or NDPBs. Instead, it establishes a small number of time-limited activities which bring together expertise from business, civil society and the wider sector. These include the Peat Task Force, the business-led Ecosystems Markets Task Force and the Green Infrastructure Partnership.
	These activities will engage key stakeholders to identify innovative and effective solutions to their respective challenges. In addition, the NEWP also announced the creation of a Natural Capital Committee to help put the value of nature at the heart of the Government's economic planning. This too will bring together a small number of leading experts in their fields to provide independent advice to Government.
	To enable these activities to function, they will be supported with a small amount of resource, within the normal course of business, and in a way that achieves best value for money.

Droughts

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if she will take steps to ensure that gardeners and garden centres are not adversely affected by the recent shortfall of rain;
	(2)  if she will take steps to mitigate the potential negative effects on garden centres and the gardening industry of any continued lack of rainfall in the summer of 2011.

Richard Benyon: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), has had a number of meetings with the sectors most affected by the dry weather, including representatives of the Horticultural Trades Association, to consider actions that can be taken to mitigate the impacts of the drought.
	No water company restrictions are currently in place and only one water company is warning customers that it may need to introduce restrictions if the dry weather returns.
	When water is in short supply the statutory framework for managing droughts is designed to protect the public water supply for essential domestic uses. Temporary restrictions on non essential uses of water can help defer or avoid the need for more stringent demand restrictions on customers and businesses and help to protect the environment. In the event of the need for restrictions, gardeners may continue to use hand held containers to water their gardens or use water that is not from the public supply, for example recycled or stored rain water.

Farmers: Income

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate her Department has made of the average income of (a) dairy farmers, (b) hill farmers, (c) livestock farmers and (d) arable farmers in each of the last 10 years.

James Paice: holding answer 28 June 2011
	Farm Business Income has been the preferred measure of income since 2003-04. The estimated Farm Business Income(1) by farm type in each of the last seven years is shown in table 1. Table 2 shows Net Farm Income(2) for each of the last 10 years.
	(1) Farm Business Income represents the financial return to all unpaid labour (farmers and spouses, non-principal partners and directors and their spouses and family workers) and on all their capital invested in the farm business, including land and buildings.
	(2) Net Farm Income is defined as the return to the principal farmer and spouse alone for their manual and managerial labour and on the tenant type-capital of the business, An imputed rent is deducted for owner-occupied farms as is a charge for other unpaid labour.
	
		
			 Table 1: Farm Business Income 
			 Average £ per farm 
			 At current prices 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 
			 Cereals 49,800 29,200 29,000 45,900 73,400 69,700 46,000 
			 General Cropping 65,900 42,400 36,900 62,200 81,000 96,000 66,000 
			 Dairy 30,500 33,100 33,600 30,800 55,100 69,400 56,100 
			 Cattle and Sheep (Lowland) 12,100 9,300 9,400 11,400 12,400 18,500 22,000 
			 Cattle and Sheep (LFA) 17,400 16,200 15,800 10,500 10,400 17,100 22,200 
			 Specialist Pigs 36,900 25,900 30,300 24,500 6,300 59,100 71,600 
			 Specialist Poultry 48,800 86,000 93,100 100,600 139,200 47,700 66,300 
			 Mixed 31,100 23,900 25,800 27,200 37,300 38,600 39,800 
			 Source: Farm Business Survey, England 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Net Farm Income 
			 Average £ per farm 
			 At current prices 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 
			 Cereals 7,500 5,900 13,600 36,400 15,600 14,100 31,300 57,100 52,700 27,900 
			 General cropping 18,600 17,500 15,500 56,800 32,200 26,700 54,000 64,700 82,000 48,900 
			 Dairy 14,000 30,900 18,200 23,600 26,400 27,100 22,900 46,700 59,200 40,500 
		
	
	
		
			 Cattle and Sheep (Lowland) -400 -100 6,600 7,100 5,400 5,300 6,800 6,500 12,200 14,500 
			 Cattle and Sheep (LFA) 5,900 7,400 17,400 15,000 13,400 11,800 6,100 5,000 11,900 15,600 
			 Specialist pigs 42,100 21,600 25,700 34,400 25,100 29,000 25,000 12,400 53,500 73,000 
			 Specialist poultry 30,300 26,700 97,100 53,200 89,700 97,500 102,600 141,400 49,800 68,900 
			 Mixed 7,600 4,500 12,100 24,400 16,400 17,400 17,600 27,600 28,600 26,300 
			 Note: The Farm Business Survey sample covers businesses with a Standard Labour Requirement (SLR) of at least 0.5, ie a size considered sufficient to occupy a farmer for at least half their time. Source: Farm Business Survey, England

Land

Sarah Wollaston: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether her Department has assessed the effectiveness of her Department's best and most versatile land policy.

James Paice: We have not recently assessed the effectiveness, of the best and most versatile land policy, but my Department has commissioned a project on the policy's application by planning authorities. This will assess the spatial location and extent of best and most versatile agricultural that has been built on and/or developed for non-agricultural purposes, in the last decade; and will evaluate the information and processes used by planners to assess BMV land issues. The report is due to be published by late summer.

Rabbits: Animal Welfare

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will consider the merits of introducing a ban on battery cages for factory-farmed rabbits.

James Paice: The welfare of farmed rabbits is already provided for by way of the general provisions of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, which make it an offence to cause suffering to an animal. The Act also contains a duty of care to animals. This means that anyone responsible for an animal must take reasonable steps to ensure the animal's welfare needs are met. In addition, the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007 lays down requirements in respect of general welfare, inspection, housing and feeding for all farm animals and includes a section specifically to protect the welfare of rabbits.
	One of the key welfare concerns associated with rabbit farming is space allowance and existing legislation covers this. It is a requirement that all rabbits must be kept in hutches or cages of sufficient size to allow the rabbits to move around and to feed and drink without difficulty and to allow them all to lie on their sides at the same time; and of sufficient height to allow the rabbits to sit upright on all four feet without their ears touching the top of the hutch or cage.
	DEFRA has a welfare code for rabbits which provides good husbandry advice, which producers have by law to be familiar with and have access to.

Water Supply: Reservoirs

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what the total reservoir capacity is of water companies in England and Wales;
	(2)  what the net change in the total reservoir capacity of water companies in England and Wales has been since 1989-90.

Richard Benyon: holding answer 28 June 2011
	The total reservoir capacity of water companies in England and Wales is approximately 2,346,590,305 cubic metres. This figure includes reservoirs that fall under the Reservoirs Act 1975 (large raised reservoirs with a capacity of 25,000 m(3) or more above natural ground level).
	Figures for 1989-90 are not available.

JUSTICE

Capita

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many contracts his Department has awarded to Capita since May 2010; and what the (a) individual monetary value and (b) net worth was of those contracts.

Kenneth Clarke: Since May 2010 my Department has awarded 220 contracts to Capita. Of these, 219 are in the form of purchase orders raised as a consequence of my Department's decision to utilise the Department of Works and Pensions (DWP) CIPHER agreement for the purchase of interim contractors in line with the Cabinet Office Efficiency and Reform Group (ERG) directive.
	The individual monetary value of contracts awarded is contained in the following table.
	The net worth of those contracts was £15,052,080.51.
	
		
			 Table 1 
			  £ 
			 Individual monetary value of contracts awarded to Capita 83,980.00 
			  106,020.00 
			  79,900.00 
			  104,400.00 
			  113,740.00 
			  18,984.00 
			  46,305.00 
			  36,687.00 
			  20,055.92 
			  17,516.80 
			  79,936.50 
			  57,560.00 
			  57,000.00 
			  57,000.00 
			  7,632.00 
			  38,522.00 
			  64,491.00 
			  19,690.00 
			  82,261.34 
			  198,118.40 
			  117,221.04 
			  115,689.60 
			  112,833.20 
			  118,496.12 
			  244,573.44 
			  179,944.00 
			  165,602.00 
			  64,886.25 
			  41,505.75 
			  63,117.16 
			  57,378.75 
			  63,117.16 
			  130,822.90 
			  71,508.62 
			  64,046.26 
			  68,854.50 
			  26,740.00 
			  111,700.00 
			  80,160.00 
			  109,250.00 
			  92,700.00 
			  106,702.08 
			  105,000.00 
			  73,920.00 
			  89,891.00 
			  76,920.00 
			  104,700.00 
			  70,240.00 
			  144,214.00 
			  128,875.00 
			  128,875.00 
			  122,744.00 
		
	
	
		
			  131,087.04 
			  138,750.00 
			  99,750.00 
			  85,976.00 
			  54,944.84 
			  123,657.50 
			  117,875.00 
			  67,244.00 
			  27,994.24 
			  57,717.95 
			  103,544.31 
			  30,340.75 
			  58,033.72 
			  120,030.50 
			  84,754.53 
			  55,699.69 
			  52,000.00 
			  775,875.00 
			  74,031.25 
			  8,085.00 
			  103,297.50 
			  42,243.00 
			  43,167.30 
			  106,095.15 
			  97,342.00 
			  100,032.50 
			  57,515.70 
			  19,427.00 
			  110,678.00 
			  43,337.05 
			  48,750.00 
			  130,422.00 
			  53,950.00 
			  39,934.00 
			  55,654.18 
			  69,335.00 
			  51,294.00 
			  49,667.50 
			  130,780.00 
			  63,326.00 
			  87,199.94 
			  73,743.30 
			  13,000.00 
			  44,452.00 
			  44,452.00 
			  92,700.00 
			  51,082.45 
			  98,495.00 
			  30,127.50 
			  52,392.88 
			  63,674.84 
			  44,687.00 
			  79,670.50 
		
	
	
		
			  58,125.70 
			  84,291.63 
			  26,545.80 
			  106,252.80 
			  49,018.60 
			  21,379.44 
			  81,493.80 
			  93,730.00 
			  32,842.80 
			  45,793.80 
			  67,750.95 
			  13,000.00 
			  21,750.00 
			  18,270.00 
			  76,891.00 
			  103,387.00 
			  41,338.48 
			  87,704.50 
			  26,545.80 
			  52,650.00 
			  67,684.80 
			  45,056.05 
			  98,562.58 
			  41,338.48 
			  46,998.90 
			  75,076.50 
			  22,562.60 
			  46,538.80 
			  46,823.80 
			  42,767.53 
			  58,739.34 
			  80,934.23 
			  44,246.80 
			  61,349.00 
			  81,733.20 
			  42,738.00 
			  15,656.00 
			  15,656.00 
			  9,293.58 
			  87,704.50 
			  33,660.00 
			  28,400.00 
			  2,816.00 
			  6,240.00 
			  70,200.73 
			  98,943.75 
			  27,037.50 
			  25,930.25 
			  40,594.08 
			  24,360.75 
			  47,799.91 
			  60,516.97 
			  84,187.50 
		
	
	
		
			  59,053.50 
			  50,614.20 
			  55,179.28 
			  52,938.01 
			  50,306.26 
			  18,369.00 
			  55,179.28 
			  37,345.25 
			  60,512.50 
			  41,886.49 
			  26,549.55 
			  55,080.00 
			  94,385.01 
			  60,687.20 
			  24,453.00 
			  180,452.60 
			  134,817.59 
			  63,117.16 
			  56,950.34 
			  60,757.64 
			  16,530.00 
			  24,774.75 
			  71,107.26 
			  57,808.24 
			  53,625.00 
			  25,740.00 
			  30,201.60 
			  16,087.50 
			  79,150.50 
			  57,352.17 
			  57,845.00 
			  58,686.72 
			  48,053.65 
			  68,323.75 
			  54,917.01 
			  36,036.48 
			  19,821.98 
			  18,133.01 
			  48,732.81 
			  81,836.76 
			  8,000.00 
			  58,916.00 
			  74,778.00 
			  41,749.50 
			  56,196.00 
			  9,375.00 
			  38,243.76 
			  60,982.34 
			  76,581.51 
			  76,983.73 
			  50,198.01 
			  38,342.20 
			  133,536.00 
		
	
	
		
			  84,298.50 
			  93,520.98 
			  92,534.65 
			  63,705.96 
			  39,146.25 
			  8,853.21 
			  52,498.43 
			  19,063.80 
			  18,924.00

Courts: Hitchin

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 21 June 2011, Official Report, column 173W, on courts, what timetable has been set for the closure of Hitchin county court and the transfer of cases elsewhere; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan Djanogly: A schedule of the proposed dates for court closures and information on the transfer of work can be found on the HM Courts and Tribunals Service website at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/about/hmcts/courts.htm
	The closure of Hitchin county court takes place over the weekend of 2 and 3 July.

Family Proceedings

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many families appeared in family court proceedings in (a) 2009 and (b) 2010.

Jonathan Djanogly: Table 1 shows the total number of applications made in the county courts and High Court of England and Wales relating to divorce, domestic violence and forced marriage protection orders in 2009 and 2010; as well as the number of ancillary relief applications dealt with.
	Table 2 shows the number of children involved in public and private law applications made at family proceedings courts, county and High Courts in 2009 and 2010.
	It is not possible to determine how many families these cases relate to except through the inspection of individual case files at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of county court and high court applications or orders made in selected family cases, England and Wales, 2009 and 2010 
			  2009 12010 
			 Matrimonial proceedings: Total petitions filed 132,801 134,050 
			 Ancillary relief: Total disposal of applications 79,883 79,027 
			 Domestic violence: Total applications made 26,027 22,681 
			 Forced marriage protection orders: Applications made 96 110 
		
	
	
		
			 (1) Figures for 2010 are provisional. Revised figures for 2010 are due to be published on 30 June, 2011. Notes: 1. Figures presented are for England and Wales only. 2. Data does not include applications made in family proceedings courts. The table presents data for county courts and High Courts only. 3. Figures relate to the number of applications or petitions made. In some areas of family law, such as ancillary relief and domestic violence, more than one application can be made for each case. 4. Matrimonial petitions data is the sum of petitions for dissolution, nullity and judicial separation. 5. Totals for ancillary relief disposals are the sum of disposals for applications which were uncontested, initially contested, subsequently consented and contested. 6. Domestic violence data is the sum of applications for non-molestation and occupation; and do not include applications for arrest warrants. A non-molestation order prevents the applicant and/or any relevant children from being molested by someone who has previously been violent towards them. An occupation order restricts the right of a violent partner to enter or live in a shared home. 7. Forced Marriage Protection Orders were introduced by the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act on 25 November 2008. Source: HMCTS FamilyMan system and summary returns 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Public and Private Law applications made in all tiers of court, England and Wales, 2009 and 2010 
			  2009 (1)  2010 
			 Public Law: Total applications made 25,810 24,020 
			 Private Law: Total applications made 137,480 122,330 
			 (1) Figures for 2010 are provisional. Revised figures for 2010 are due to be published on 30 June, 2011. Notes: 1. Figures presented are for England and Wales only. 2. Figures relate to the number of children subject to each application. If an application is made for two children in one family, the case will be counted twice. 3. All tiers of court are represented in the answer; specifically the family proceedings court, county court and High Court. 4. Public Law refers to Children Act 1989 cases where there are child welfare issues and a local authority, or an authorised person, is stepping in to protect the child and ensure they get the care they need. 5. Private Law refers to Children Act 1989 cases where two or more parties are trying to resolve a private dispute. This is commonly where parents have split up and there is a disagreement about contact with, or residence of, their children. 6. Private law refers to section 8 applications for residence, contact, specific issue and prohibited steps; and parental responsibility orders, financial applications and special guardianship orders. 7. Public law refers to section 8 applications for residence, contact, specific issue and prohibited steps; and parental responsibility orders, special guardianship orders, recovery orders, emergency protection orders, emergency protection (extension), emergency protection (discharge), child assessment, education supervision, care and supervision orders, care discharge, supervision discharge, secure accommodation, care contact and authority to refuse contact with a child. 8. Private Law applications exclude adoptions. Source: HMCTS FamilyMan system and summary returns

Family Proceedings

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) independent social workers and (b) other experts received payment for appearing in family court proceedings in (i) 2009 and (ii) 2010.

Jonathan Djanogly: The information requested on how many independent social workers and other experts received payment for appearing in family proceedings is not held by Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service.
	However the following information on the number of independent social workers appointed in care cases for the last two years is shown as follows.
	
		
			  2009 2010 
			 Family proceedings courts (magistrates) 307 316 
			 County courts 138 156 
			 Note: 1. The data source is HMCS Performance Database (OPT). 2. This data was subject to the minimum data quality checks and is used for internal management information purposes only. 
		
	
	No information is held about the payment of experts on a central database. Details of payment may be held on some individual court files, but will not necessarily be present if the experts were funded privately, nor will experts fees always be itemised separately on the costs statements concerning legal aid funding that are submitted to the courts. Providing the information, where held, from court files could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

National Offender Management Service: Operating Costs

Elizabeth Truss: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the administrative and management costs, including staff, of each directorate of the National Offender Management Service in the latest period for which figures are available

Crispin Blunt: The following table provides the latest estimated budget costs of administrative and management, including staff, of each directorate in the National Offender Management Service's (NOMS) for financial year 2011-12.
	
		
			  Administration (near cash) (£ million) 
			 Operations—public prisons 1.068 
			 Operations—regions 0.000 
			 Operations—central 24.199 
			 Operations—probation 0.000 
			 Operations—private prisons 0.000 
			 National operational services 41.715 
			   
			 High security 2.315 
		
	
	
		
			 CEO/director general 3.691 
			 Finance 7.551 
			 Commissioning and commercial 39.163 
			 Human resources 44.672 
			 ICT/NOMIS 67.623 
			 Central funds -30.977 
			  201.020 
			 Notes: 1. Administration budgets cover the costs of all National Offender Management Service (NOMS) administration. NOMS administration budgets broadly include the provision of a corporate management and governance framework, policy setting, legislative reporting and associated back office support services. 2. The central funds figure comprises: unidentified savings requirement; income from Youth Justice Board in respect of recharge of headquarters overheads; and funds held pending transfer to other Governments Departments in supplementary estimate.

Offenders: Employment

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether private sector providers will be required to conduct risk assessments on offenders placed on unpaid work.

Crispin Blunt: The contract specification for unpaid work and the operating manual will apply to all providers, including potential providers from the private sector. Both require that risk assessments are undertaken using the NOMS prescribed risk assessment tool eOASys (Electronic Offender Assessment System).

Prison Sentences: Wales

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many custodial sentences of less than six months were handed down for (a) offenders of each sex and (b) each type of offence by courts in North Wales in the last year for which figures are available.

Crispin Blunt: The number of persons sentenced to immediate custody of less than six months by sex and type of offence, by courts used by North Wales police in 2010 can be viewed in the table.
	
		
			 Persons sentenced to an immediate custody of less than 6 months, by sex and type of offence, by courts used by North Wales police, 2010  (1, 2, 3) 
			 Court & Sex Violence against the person Sexual offences Burglary Robbery Theft and handling stolen goods Fraud and forgery 
			 Mold(4)       
			 Males 5 1 2 0 10 8 
			 Females 0 0 0 0 2 2 
			        
			 Wrexham Maelor       
			 Males 6 1 7 0 62 2 
			 Females 1 0 0 0 6 0 
			        
			 Flintshire       
			 Males 3 0 0 0 25 0 
			 Females 0 0 0 0 3 0 
			        
		
	
	
		
			 Denbighshire       
			 Males 1 2 6 0 21 0 
			 Females 0 0 0 0 1 0 
			        
			 Conwy       
			 Males 5 0 3 0 28 2 
			 Females 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			        
			 Ynys Mon/Anglesey       
			 Males 4 0 5 0 5 0 
			 Females 0 0 0 0 1 0 
			        
			 Gwynedd       
			 Males 11 1 11 0 26 8 
			 Females 0 0 0 0 1 1 
			        
			 Not Stated 0 0 0 0 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Criminal damage Drug offences Other indictable offences Indictable motoring offences Summary offences Summary motoring offences 
			 Mold(4)       
			 Males 2 3 24 0 23 1 
			 Females 0 0 1 0 0 0 
			        
			 Wrexham Maelor       
			 Males 3 0 17 0 47 11 
			 Females 0 0 2 0 3 0 
			        
			 Flintshire       
			 Males 5 4 15 0 31 10 
			 Females 0 0 1 0 4 0 
			        
			 Denbighshire       
			 Males 0 0 2 0 39 5 
			 Females 0 0 3 0 3 0 
			        
			 Conwy       
			 Males 0 2 23 0 26 2 
			 Females 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			        
			 Ynys Mon/Anglesey       
			 Males 0 2 4 0 10 3 
			 Females 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			        
			 Gwynedd       
			 Males 1 5 16 0 24 5 
			 Females 0 0 3 0 2 0 
			        
		
	
	
		
			 Not Stated 0 0 0 0 1 0 
			 (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2 )Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3 )Sentences at a magistrates court are based in the area where the court is based rather than the prosecuting force. Therefore although these courts are based in North Wales these offences may not have been prosecuted by North Wales police. (4 )Sentences passed at the Crown Court are based on the prosecuting force. Source:  Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice.

Prisoners

Esther McVey: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment the Prison Service makes of the potential effect on a victim of crime or a victim's family in determining any change of category of prison in which an offender convicted of that crime is held.

Crispin Blunt: Recategorisation of prisoners and allocating them to appropriate prisons is vital to sentence management. The correct category ensures that prisoners are held in appropriately secure conditions, and subsequent allocation helps prisoners to use their sentences constructively, to tackle their offending behaviour and reduce the risks of re-offending on release.
	Prisoners must be held in the lowest security category consistent with managing risk. The decision to recategorise a prisoner is taken only after a full and thorough risk assessment which includes consideration of the likelihood of escape and the subsequent risk of harm to the public should they do so. When a prisoner is being considered for allocation to open conditions, where the victim lives should form part of the consideration.
	Under the statutory victim contact scheme operated by Probation Trusts, by virtue of section 35 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004, victims of certain serious sexual or violent crimes where the offender has been sentenced to 12 months imprisonment or more may elect to receive information about key developments in the offender's sentence. This includes notification that a prisoner is being considered for a move to a lower security prison, and the outcome.

Prisoners

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many prison inmates are aged (a) between 60 and 65, (b) between 66 and 70, (c) between 71 and 75, (d) between 76 and 80 and (e) over 80 years;
	(2)  what the age is of the oldest prison inmate in England and Wales.

Crispin Blunt: The table shows the population of prisoners by specified age groups in all prison establishments in England and Wales, from the most recent available data at the end of March 2011.
	The oldest prisoner as at 31 March 2011 is 92 years of age.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	
		
			 Population in prison establishments, by age group, as at 31 March 2011, England and Wales 
			 Age group Number of persons 
			 60 to 65 1,637 
			 66 to 70 755 
			 71 to 75 390 
			 76 to 80 150 
			 81 and over 42

Prisoners' Earnings Act 1996

Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what progress his Department has made in implementing the Prisoners' Earnings Act 1996 in respect of financial reparations to victims.

Crispin Blunt: The Ministry of Justice is preparing to implement the Prisoners' Earnings Act 1996 in England and Wales. Deductions from prisoners' earnings will begin in September of this year. It remains our intention that all money deducted will go to organisations concerned with victims. The necessary Commencement Order and amendments to the Prison Rules will be made in due course.
	The National Offender Management Service will make the deductions and is preparing its approach, including how best to inform prisoners and employers of the Act.
	Clause 103 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and the Punishment of Offenders Bill is intended to give us a more flexible power, able to include more prisoners in the scheme of deductions.

Prisoners' Release: Re-offenders

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people reoffended within 12 months of release from a custodial sentence handed down by (a) a Magistrates' Court and (b) a Crown Court in each year since 1995.

Crispin Blunt: The one year re-conviction data covers all adult offenders released from custody or commencing a court order between January and March of each year. The earliest available information regarding re-conviction is from 2000.
	Table 1 shows the number and one year re-conviction rate of adult offenders who were released from custody in the first quarter of 2000, 2002 to 2009 and were sentenced at a Crown court.
	Table 2 shows the number and one year re-conviction rate of adult offenders who were released from custody in the first quarter of 2000, 2002 to 2009 and were sentenced at a magistrates court.
	
		
			 Table 1: Re-conviction rates for adult offenders after release from a prison sentence given at a Crown court (2000,2002 to 2009 cohorts) 
			  Number of offenders Number re-convicted Re-conviction rate (percentage) 
			 2000 7,457 2,885 38.7 
			 2001 (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 2002 6,592 2,413 36.6 
			 2003 6,388 2,243 35.1 
			 2004 6,320 1,998 31.6 
			 2005 6,024 1,743 28.9 
			 2006 6,369 1,714 26.9 
			 2007 5,837 1,580 27.1 
			 2008 7,181 2,117 29.5 
			 2009 8,430 2,787 33.1 
			 (1) Data are not available for 2001 due to a problem with archived data on court orders. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Re-conviction rates for adult offenders after release from a prison sentence given at a magistrates court (2000,2002 to 2009 cohorts) 
			  Number of offenders Number re-convicted Re-conviction rate (percentage) 
			 2000 8,127 5,133 63.2 
			 2001 (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 2002 8,860 6,094 68.8 
			 2003 7,846 5,444 69.4 
			 2004 9,334 6,151 65.9 
			 2005 8,462 5,380 63.6 
			 2006 7,900 4,933 62.4 
			 2007 6,876 4,440 64.6 
			 2008 8,799 5,789 65.8 
			 2009 8,291 5,332 64.3 
			 (1) Data are not available for 2001 due to a problem with archived data on court orders. 
		
	
	Further information on adult re-conviction is available at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/reoffendingofadults.htm

Prisoners' Release: Re-offenders

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people reoffended within 12 months of release from an indeterminate sentence of imprisonment for public protection in each year since 2003.

Crispin Blunt: Re-conviction rates for persons released from an indeterminate sentence of imprisonment for public protection are not available. However the Ministry of Justice will be publishing a new quarterly re-offending bulletin on 27 October 2011. This bulletin uses a new measure of re-offending through which it will be possible to provide re-offending rates for persons released from indeterminate sentences.
	This new quarterly re-offending bulletin was recently announced in the published response on improvements in Ministry of Justice Statistics and the first publication will be on 27 October 2011. More details are available from the Ministry of Justice website:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/consultations/565.htm
	Further information on adult re-conviction is available at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/reoffendingofadults.htm

Prisoners: Foreign Nationals

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent estimate he has made of the number of foreign nationals in prisons in England and Wales.

Crispin Blunt: The number of foreign national prisoners held in all prison establishments in England and Wales by nationality is published quarterly in the Ministry of Justice Statistics Bulletin “Offender Management Statistics Quarterly Bulletin” and available via:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/statistics-and-data/prisons-and-probation/oms-quartlery.htm
	From the most recent available data, end of March 2011, the foreign national prisoner population in all prison establishments in England and Wales is 10,745.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisons: Education

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has for the future level of financial education for prisoners diagnosed with mental health conditions.

Crispin Blunt: “Making Prisons Work: Skills for Rehabilitation”, published jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on 18 May, sets out a programme of reform of offender learning. We will place a much greater emphasis on developing the vocational and employability skills that offenders need in order to find and keep jobs and Apprenticeships in the labour markets where they will be released. We will continue to provide financial education to enhance the prospects of a prisoner (including those with diagnosed mental health conditions) securing employment. The review of offender learning also commits to provide greater support for prisoners with learning difficulties and disabilities.
	In addition the National Offender Management Service is working with the Money Advice Service to enable prisoners, including those with mental health issues, to access appropriate financial advice.

Probation: Finance

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether a probation trust would be financially liable for a successful probation lot bid which was above the contract price under his proposals for tendering for unpaid work.

Crispin Blunt: The competition will require all bidders to submit a best and final offer which will include a contract price for the delivery of CP which will be evaluated to confirm it offers value for money to the MoJ. The successful bid will therefore become the contract price and the successful bidder will be contracted to deliver the services for the contract price.

Repossession Orders: Wandsworth

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many court orders were issued for the repossession of homes in (a) the London borough of Wandsworth and (b) Tooting constituency in each quarter since 2005.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice holds statistical information in relation to the numbers of possession claims which led to an order being made for all mortgage and landlord properties in the London borough of Wandsworth and the parliamentary constituency of Tooting. These figures represent the numbers of claims leading to orders being made rather than the numbers of orders as they are more accurate, removing the double-counting of instances where a single claim leads to more than one order. They also provide a more meaningful measure of the number of homeowners who are subject to court repossession actions. The following table shows these figures by quarter from 2005 to the first quarter of 2011, the latest period for which figures are available.
	
		
			 Total number of mortgage (1)  and landlord (2)  possession claims which led to an order being made (3, 4, 5 ) in the London borough of Wandsworth and Tooting parliamentary constituency (6)  by quarter, 2005-2011 Q1 (7) 
			   London borough of Wandsworth Tooting parliamentary constituency 
			  Quarter Mortgage orders Landlord orders Mortgage orders Landlord orders 
			 2005 1 80 210 25 75 
			  2 65 280 25 95 
			  3 65 230 25 90 
			  4 70 180 25 80 
			 2006 1 75 205 35 85 
			  2 70 205 25 60 
			  3 90 235 25 80 
			  4 90 180 40 60 
			 2007 1 70 275 25 105 
			  2 70 160 15 50 
			  3 70 160 25 65 
			  4 50 155 20 55 
			 2008 1 45 180 25 65 
			  2 90 200 30 60 
			  3 70 255 25 80 
			  4 65 170 25 45 
			 2009 1 40 165 15 50 
			  2 80 200 35 70 
			  3 80 185 35 80 
			  4 45 155 15 65 
			 2010 1 30 150 15 60 
			  2 35 130 10 50 
			  3 35 185 15 85 
			  4 45 165 15 75 
			 2011 1 35 160 10 60 
		
	
	
		
			 (1) The mortgage data includes all types of lenders whether local authority or private {e.g. banks and building societies). (2) The landlord data include all types of landlord whether social or private sector, and cover actions made using both the standard and accelerated possession procedures. The accelerated possession procedure is used by landlords in relation to assured shorthold tenancies, when the fixed period of tenancy has come to an end. It enables orders to be made by the court solely on the basis of written evidence and without calling the parties to a hearing. (3) The number of claims that lead to an order includes claims in which the first order, whether outright or suspended, is made during the period. (4) These figures represent the numbers of claims leading to orders being made. This is more accurate than the number of orders, removing the double-counting of instances where a single claim leads to more than one order. It is also a more meaningful measure of the number of homeowners who are subject to court repossession actions. (5) Repossessions can occur without a court order for possession being made, and not all court orders for possession subsequently result in repossession. (6) The Tooting parliamentary constituency consists of different boundaries in the quarters upto and including 2010 Q1 and from 2010 Q2 onwards due to restructuring after the May 2010 general election. (7) Counts have been rounded to the nearest five. Source: Ministry of Justice

TREASURY

Capital Gains Tax

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of the reintroduction of taper relief for capital gains tax.

David Gauke: No estimate of the cost to the Exchequer of reintroducing taper relief is available.

Economic and Monetary Union

Mark Reckless: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the status is of the funding allocated for Euro zone financial assistance by (a) the International Monetary Fund, (b) the European Financial Stability facility and (c) the European Financial Stability Mechanism.

Mark Hoban: The international financial assistance package for Greece agreed in May 2010 included: a €30 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), of which €14.6 has been disbursed; and, €80 billion of bilateral loans from euro area member states, of which €38.4 billion has been disbursed. There was no contribution either from the EU Budget or from the European Financial Stabilisation Mechanism (EFSM), which is backed by the EU Budget.
	The international financial assistance package for Ireland agreed in December 2010 included: a €22.5 billion loan from the IMF, of which €7.2 billion has been disbursed; a €22.5 billion loan from the EFSM, of which €11.4 billion has been disbursed; a €17.5 billion loan from the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF), of which €3.6 billion has been disbursed; and €5 billion of bilateral loans from the UK, Sweden and Denmark.
	The international financial assistance package for Portugal agreed in May 2011 included a €26 billion loan from the EFSM, of which €6.5 billion has been disbursed; a €26 billion loan from the IMF, of which €6.1 billion has been disbursed; and a €26 billion loan from the EFSF.

EU Budget

Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to promote (a) a reduction in the EU Budget and (b) a net reduction in the UK's contribution to the EU Budget.

Justine Greening: The Government are intent on controlling the size of the EU Budget, and thereby the level of the UK’s contributions, in discussions of both EU annual budgets and the next financial perspective. The Government have been clear that the 4.9% increase in EU spending in 2012 proposed by the Commission is unacceptable. The Government will continue to work with other member states to deliver the best possible outcome for UK taxpayers in future negotiations.

Fiscal Policy

Jonathan Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the implications for his economic policy of the trend in household consumption in the first quarter of 2011; and if he will make a statement.

Justine Greening: The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) published its forecast for household consumption in their Economic and Fiscal Outlook in March 2011. This takes account of the current Government's economic policy. The OBR forecast that household consumption will grow by 0.6% in 2011 and 1.3% in 2012.

International Monetary Fund: Public Appointments

Mark Reckless: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons he is supporting the candidature of Christine Lagarde for managing director of the International Monetary Fund.

Mark Hoban: The UK continues to support the G20 commitment to open, transparent and merit based selection of the heads and senior leadership of International financial institutions, including the International Monetary Fund.
	The international community needs a strong IMF as an anchor of global economic stability and prosperity. That is why the UK believes it is important to support the strongest candidate for the next managing director, irrespective of nationality. On the basis of merit, the UK believes Christine Lagarde is the outstanding candidate. She has shown real international leadership as chair of the G20 Finance Ministers this year and has been a strong advocate for countries tackling high budget deficits and living within their means.

National Insurance Contributions

David Hanson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many applications for the national insurance holiday scheme in each region had been (a) received and (b) approved as at 31 May 2011.

David Gauke: Up to 31 May 2011, HMRC had received (a) 4,368 successful and (b) 148 unsuccessful applications for the NICs holiday from new businesses. The regional breakdown is as follows:
	
		
			  Successful Unsuccessful 
			 Northern Ireland 190 10 
			 Scotland 597 14 
			 Wales 263 12 
			 East Midlands 419 10 
			 North East 280 14 
			 North West 804 28 
			 South West 720 24 
			 West Midlands 534 21 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 561 15 
			 Total 4,368 148

National Insurance Contributions

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Glasgow North East of 28 April 2011, Official Report, column 516W, on national insurance contributions, how many new jobs have been created in each region to which the national insurance holiday has applied since its inception.

David Gauke: HMRC has received 4,368 successful applications for the national insurance contributions (NICs) holiday (up to 31 May 2011). The regional breakdown is as follows:
	
		
			  Applications received 
			 Northern Ireland 190 
			 Scotland 597 
			 Wales 263 
			 East Midlands 419 
			 North East 280 
			 North West 804 
			 South West 720 
			 West Midlands 534 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 561 
			 Total 4,368 
		
	
	Analysis suggests that on average each business will claim for approximately two employees. This implies that the scheme has supported around 8,700 new jobs.

Revenue and Customs: Labour Turnover

John McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax inspectors HM Revenue and Customs expects to (a) recruit and (b) retire in each year of the comprehensive spending review period.

David Gauke: Following the merger of the Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise on 18 April 2005, HMRC no longer use the specific title of 'tax inspector'. Instead, since the formation of HMRC all staff are known as ‘officers of Revenue and Customs’. The Department does not therefore keep or forecast information on numbers of tax inspectors.
	Compliance functions previously carried out by tax inspectors are spread across the staff profile of various parts of the Department. The compliance effort throughout the SR period will be bolstered by redeployment and recruitment, including graduate recruitment, and supported by targeted training on a modular basis according to the needs of the individual and their job role.

Revenue and Customs: Training

John McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of the budget of HM Revenue and Customs has been allocated to training tax inspectors in techniques to address tax (a) evasion and (b) avoidance in each year of the comprehensive spending review period.

David Gauke: HMRC no longer uses the term ‘Tax Inspector’ but training for its staff consists of various modules from the Tax Professional Qualifications Catalogue which equip them with the skills and knowledge to tackle evasion and avoidance. The salary and miscellaneous budgets allocated to the team responsible for the design, development and delivery of the tax learning packages in question total £7.36 million for 2011-12. This represents 0.2% of the total HMRC budget and does not include the salary costs of trainees. There is a rolling programme to identify and address staff learning needs using this modular approach.

Tax Avoidance

John McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 19 May 2011, Official Report, column 327W, on tax avoidance, what the (a) number and (b) types of criminal attack on the tax system investigation by HM Revenue and Customs since 2005 were; and what the (i) cost and (ii) amount of revenue recovered was in each case.

David Gauke: It is not possible for HMRC to provide the answer to the question in the requested format as this information is not collated and recorded in a way that would enable the level of detail requested to be identified. Estimates of losses which predominantly relate to organised crime exist for Tobacco, Alcohol, Oils and VAT Missing Trader Intra Community fraud and these can be found in the Measuring Tax Gaps 2010 document at:
	www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/measuring-tax-gaps-2010.htm.pdf

Tax Avoidance

John McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 19 May 2011, Official Report, column 327W, on tax avoidance, what proportion of the funding provided to HM Revenue and Customs was spent on addressing (a) tax avoidance, (b) tax evasion and (c) criminal attacks in each year of the comprehensive spending review period.

David Gauke: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 27 June 2011, Official Report, column 550W, to the hon. Member for Glasgow North East (Mr Bain).

Tax Avoidance

John McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 19 May 2011, Official Report, column 327W, on tax avoidance, what proportion of the £917 million investment in HM Revenue and Customs has been budgeted for in each year of the comprehensive spending review.

David Gauke: HMRC's business plan for 2011-12 shows a re-investment of £132 million while indicative plans for the remaining years of the spending review period are £191 million, £268 million and £326 million respectively.

Tax Avoidance

John McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 19 May 2011, Official Report, column 327W, on tax avoidance, when he expects HM Revenue and Customs to publish Measuring Tax Gaps 2011.

David Gauke: Measuring Tax Gaps 2011 will be published on 21 September 2011, as announced on HMRC's website.

Taxation: Business

Jesse Norman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what powers HM Revenue and Customs has to defer the payment of tax liabilities of corporations; and for what reason the Chief Executive of HM Revenue and Customs is unable to provide substantive responses to questions about the deferral of tax liabilities of individual corporations.

David Gauke: Under the Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005, the Commissioners are responsible for the collection and management of the taxes, duties and national insurance contributions for which HMRC is responsible. Decisions in the courts have illustrated the scope of the administrative discretion which may be exercised when carrying out this responsibility. It is clear that this discretion is limited but it allows HMRC to facilitate the overall task of tax collection by obtaining for the Exchequer the highest net return practicable.
	Information about any aspect of a taxpayer's tax affairs is confidential, including arrangements for deferral of liabilities.

Taxation: Multinational Companies

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations the Government have made at EU level, to whom and on what date, on the introduction at EU level of legislation supporting contract transparency and project-by-project reporting similar to Section 1504 of the US Dodd-Frank law since February 2011.

David Gauke: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Battersea (Jane Ellison) on 28 June, Official Report, column 687-8W. .

VAT: Energy

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what his estimate is of the change in the level of revenue that will be raised from VAT on domestic energy as a result in the level of changes in fuel prices in each year since 2007;
	(2)  what his estimate is of projected VAT yields for 2011-12 from domestic fuel bills.

David Gauke: holding answer 17 June 2011
	No estimate has been made of the impact on VAT of increased fuel prices for the period since 2007. No estimate of the VAT payable in 2011-12 on domestic fuel has yet been made.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Anglo-Irish Secretariat

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost to the public purse was of (a) travel, (b) accommodation and (c) other expenses for staff working within the Anglo-Irish Secretariat in each year since its formation.

Owen Paterson: The Anglo-Irish Secretariat was established in 1985 and ran until 1998. The Northern Ireland Office no longer hold the information requested.

Departmental Billing

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many invoices received by his Department have been paid (a) on time and (b) late in each month since May 2010; and what the monetary value is of the invoices paid late.

Owen Paterson: Payments for the Northern Ireland Office are contracted out to a Northern Ireland Civil Service Department, whose prompt payment target is payment cleared within 10 days.
	
		
			  On time—10 day target Outside 10 day target 
			  Number of transactions Value of transactions (£) Number of transactions Value of transactions (£) 
			 May 2010 896 1,340,930 49 29,238 
			 June 2010 947 2,531,755 22 237,888 
			 July 2010 801 1,181,807 30 115,302 
			 August 2010 804 1,423,146 25 133,309 
			 September 2010 852 1,295,094 17 59,548 
			 October 2010 798 1,964,920 10 24,220 
			 November 2010 843 1,013,219 4 24,801 
			 December 2010 548 678,315 6 65,425 
			 January 2011 714 956,056 18 45,998 
			 February 2011 774 1,346,735 4 20,386 
			 March 2011 927 1,013,562 26 73,260 
			 April 2011 598 869,367 17 26,343 
			 May 2011 687 861,971 32 16,691 
		
	
	
		
			  On time—5 day target Outside 5 day target 
			  Number of transactions Value of transactions (£) Number of transactions Value of transactions (£) 
			 May 2010 232 307,007 713 1,063,161 
			 June 2010 309 448,757 660 2,320,886 
			 July 2010 276 353,279 555 943,830 
		
	
	
		
			 August 2010 394 660,321 435 896,134 
			 September 2010 440 555,812 429 798,830 
			 October 2010 377 736,523 431 1,252,617 
			 November 2010 473 401,873 374 636,147 
			 December 2010 279 227,329 275 516,411 
			 January 2011 361 438,855 371 563,199 
			 February 2011 452 431,071 326 936,050 
			 March 2011 305 366,463 648 720,359 
			 April 2011 112 300,854 503 594,856 
			 May 2011 181 142,525 538 736,137

Departmental Manpower

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost to the public purse was of (a) travel and (b) accommodation for staff in his Department in each year since 2007.

Owen Paterson: Comparable figures for the Department as it is now configured are not available following the completion of devolution of policing and justice functions on 12 April 2010.
	In the financial year for 2010-11 the Department spent £616,786.00 on staff travel and £104,548.00 on accommodation.

Fuels: Prices

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with (a) the Northern Ireland Executive, (b) energy companies and (c) the Chancellor of the Exchequer on recent trends in fuel prices in Northern Ireland.

Owen Paterson: I have not received any requests for discussions on these matters from Northern Ireland Executive Ministers nor do I have any ministerial responsibility in these areas. It remains open to Northern Ireland Ministers to raise these matters with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne) and other ministerial colleagues.

Parades

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent representations he has received on the issue of parades and protests in Northern Ireland since May 2010.

Owen Paterson: I have received a number of both written and verbal representations from individuals, various groups and organisations with a range of differing views on parading. All decisions on parades in Northern Ireland remain a matter for the Parades Commission.

VAT: Hotels

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he has received on the rate of VAT levied on hotels in Northern Ireland.

Owen Paterson: I have not received any representations; taxes are generally the responsibility of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne).

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Asylum

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Dublin 2 process for the handling of asylum seekers' cases; and if he will make a statement.

Damian Green: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government strongly supports the Dublin Regulation (“Dublin II”). The Regulation ensures that just one member state—generally the first one in which the individual claimed asylum or entered unlawfully—is responsible for considering an asylum claim made in the EU.
	This makes it more difficult to abuse asylum processes in the EU by making multiple claims in different member states, or by delaying an asylum claim until the individual has reached his or her preferred destination. It also provides certainty for the asylum seeker by ensuring that a specific member state is obliged to consider his or her claim.
	Between 2006 and 2010, the UK removed 6,034 people to other member states under the Dublin Regulation and accepted 1,849 transfers from other member states. These figures are based on management information that is not quality assured under National Statistics protocols. The figures do not constitute part of the National Statistics and should be treated as provisional.

Davinder Singh Bhullar

Gerry Sutcliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise with the Government of India the case of Professor Davinder Singh Bhullar.

Jeremy Browne: I wrote to the Indian High Commissioner on 20 June, reiterating the UK Government's strong opposition to the death penalty and urging the Government of India to reconsider Mr Bhullar's sentence. I have also raised our concerns with Indian Foreign Secretary Rao on 28 June. We continue to urge the Government of India to establish a formal moratorium as a first step towards the abolition of the death penalty in India.

Departmental ICT

Andrew Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to promote visual data security in his Department; and what training his Department provides to its officials in respect of the management of visual data security.

Jeremy Browne: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office takes information security very seriously and has measures in place to meet the risks posed from visual display units (VDUs) being overlooked, both in the office environment and when working remotely. Specific measures include a requirement for all staff to adhere to the relevant standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the ICT equipment they have been authorised to use, including mobility devices. The department's VDUs are programmed to go into ‘hibernation’ if not activated within a short period of time; staff are instructed not to leave their units switched on when away from their desks; screens may be ‘anonomised’ where considered necessary for those working inside and away from the office. If staff need to work remotely and view information that is sensitive, they must ensure that they cannot be overlooked. ‘Privacy screen panels’ are available to mitigate the risk of “shoulder surfing”. The need to ensure visual data security is considered as part of any office accommodation moves.
	Staff are trained in all aspects of data handling and security in a variety of ways including: annual completion of mandatory ‘protecting information’ training, induction courses; regular briefing and other training events; articles on departmental intranet sites and; ad hoc reminders as and when considered necessary.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what expenditure his Department will incur in relation to the Defence and Security Equipment International Exhibition between 13 and 16 September 2011; and whether Ministers from his Department plan to attend the event.

Jeremy Browne: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office will not incur any costs in relation to the Defence and Security International Exhibition. The programme of UK Ministers will be decided nearer to the date of the exhibition.

Departmental Responsibilities

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what strategic framework his Department has developed for the delivery of its core functions during the comprehensive spending review period.

Jeremy Browne: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s (FCO) Business Plan
	http://www.number10.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/FCO-Business-Plan1.pdf
	launched in October 2010, and updated in May 2011 sets out the coalition Government's vision for the FCO over the next four years. The Business Plan sets out how the FCO will deliver on the Programme for Government commitments relevant to its work.
	The Business Plan is consistent with the National Security Strategy and Strategic Security and Defence Review published in October 2010.
	The FCO reports monthly on its progress against the Business Plan:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/publications-and-documents/publications1/annual-reports/business-plan
	From July we will also publish a quarterly data summary covering indicators on spending, reform and performance. The data summary is designed to be in a format that is consistent across departments.

Mediterranean Region: Human Trafficking

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will support EU initiatives to improve joint patrolling arrangements in the Mediterranean Sea in order to deter and apprehend people traffickers.

Damian Green: I have been asked to reply.
	The UK supports the changes made in the amending regulation on Frontex, on which political agreement has been reached. It will be formally adopted in plenary by the European Parliament in early autumn 2011 and by the Council shortly after. We believe that the amending Regulation will help improve joint patrolling arrangements in the Mediterranean sea by giving Frontex more control over where member states' technical equipment and human resources are deployed. The amending Frontex Regulation also gives Frontex a mandate to process personal data in the course of its operational activities of persons suspected of people trafficking and smuggling, under condition that it is lawful, necessary and proportionate in relation to the tasks of the Agency; and to pass this data to Europol for their action. We expect this to be a significant improvement in the fight against human trafficking and other forms of cross-border criminality.

Syria: Politics and Government

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received of efforts made by the Syrian authorities to stop demonstrators entering Israel; what recent representations he has made to the Syrian authorities on this issue; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: Following the deaths of four Palestinians near Kuneitra and Majdal Shams in the Israeli/Syrian disengagement zone during protests on 15 May (Nakba), our ambassador to Syria called on the Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister to urge the Syrian authorities to show restraint and to make appropriate preparations to ensure the technical fence was not breached ahead of the Naksa (6 June) anniversary.
	On 6 June, 600 Palestinians again gathered near Kuneitra and Majdal Shams. A further attempt to breach the technical fence reportedly resulted in the deaths of 23 Palestinians after the Israel Defence Forces opened fire in order to prevent the protestors from crossing the ceasefire line.
	The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) said in a statement on 6 June,
	“I am deeply concerned by reports that a number of protesters have been killed and others injured following protests in the Golan Heights yesterday. We recognise Israel's right to defend herself. It is vital that any response is proportionate, avoiding lethal use of force unless absolutely necessary, and that the right to protest is respected. I continue to call on all parties, including the Governments of Israel and Syria, to do everything they can to protect the lives of civilians and to avoid provocative acts.”

Turks and Caicos Islands: Economic Situation

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the progress made by the Turks and Caicos Islands towards reducing its budget deficit.

Alan Duncan: I have been asked to reply.
	Department for International Development (DFID) officials receive weekly and monthly revenue and expenditure reports from the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) Government which show that financial performance in the opening period of this financial year is in line with the budget to March 2012. The budget to March 2012 sets TCI on a path to substantially reduce the deficit from last year's outturn. For further information on DFID's support to TCI, I refer the hon. Member to my written statement of 28 February 2011, Official Report , columns 14-15WS.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Broadband

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent assessment he has made of the cost of rolling out (a) superfast broadband and (b) superfast broadband over fibre to each household in the UK.

Edward Vaizey: The cost of deploying (a) superfast broadband and (b) superfast broadband over fibre remains largely unchanged from previous estimates. The cost of deploying superfast broadband using a Fibre To The Cabinet (FTTC) approach to 90% of UK premises UK would be over £4 billion and the cost of deploying fibre to every premise in the UK would be over £25 billion. The remaining 10% of premises under the FTTC approach would require a mixed technology solution. Commercial investors have already committed to address at least 66% of premises under the FTTC approach.

Broadband

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what recent progress his Department has made on the roll-out of superfast broadband in London;
	(2)  what recent progress his Department has made on the roll-out of superfast broadband in the West Midlands;
	(3)  what recent progress his Department has made on the roll-out of superfast broadband in Northern Ireland;
	(4)  what recent progress his Department has made on the roll-out of superfast broadband in Wales;
	(5)  what recent progress his Department has made on the roll-out of superfast broadband in Scotland;
	(6)  what recent progress his Department has made on the roll-out of superfast broadband in the North East;
	(7)  what recent progress his Department has made on the roll-out of superfast broadband in the North West;
	(8)  what recent progress his Department has made on the roll-out of superfast broadband in East Anglia;
	(9)  what recent progress his Department has made on the roll-out of superfast broadband in the South West;
	(10)  what recent progress his Department has made on the roll-out of superfast broadband in the South East;
	(11)  what recent progress his Department has made on the roll-out of superfast broadband in Yorkshire and the Humber;
	(12)  what recent progress his Department has made on the roll-out of superfast broadband in the East Midlands.

Jeremy Hunt: I recently announced funding for three more local authority areas to be supported under the broadband delivery programme: Norfolk, Wiltshire, and Devon and Somerset. Work is also progressing on the four pilot projects in Cumbria, North Yorkshire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire, and Highlands and Islands. My Department is working with the local authorities in the remaining areas in England and with the three devolved Administrations to progress their broadband plans. There will shortly be an announcement of the indicative allocations for county areas in England and the devolved Administrations, to help them focus their broadband plans. In the case of the devolved Administrations they have, by agreement with my Department, adopted responsibility for co-ordinating broadband plans within their areas of administrative responsibility. My Department will, however, continue to work closely with all authorities and has already made available an online resource centre, and is developing a framework procurement contract which will be open to all authorities to use and will help minimise the number of procurements, and has also assembled an experienced team to assist the delivery of our broadband objectives.

Broadband: Lancashire

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what representations he has received on community access to the Clio broadband network in Northern Lancashire;
	(2)  for what reason Sunderland Point has not been given access to the Cleo broadband network in Northern Lancashire.

Edward Vaizey: I have not received any direct representations regarding access to the Cumbria and Lancashire Education Online (CLEO) network. The relevant local authorities have responsibility for operation of the network and provision of access to it. The Government encourages the reuse of public sector networks to facilitate the rollout of superfast broadband where it is feasible to do so.

Buckingham Palace: Demonstrations

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 
	(1)  on what grounds the Royal Parks Agency declined to approve a demonstration by Republic planned to take place outside Buckingham Palace on 25 June 2011; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what discussions he had with (a) the Metropolitan police and (b) the Royal Parks Agency on planned protests by Republic outside Buckingham Palace.

John Penrose: The Royal Parks (TRP) regularly accommodates public demonstrations and the chief executive has made clear to Republic that he will consider accommodating a demonstration in a prominent place adjacent to The Mall in St James's park. This is in line with its longstanding policy which seeks to balance the needs of all visitors to the Royal Parks.
	The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), has not held discussions with the Metropolitan police or TRP on this matter.

Churches: Hertfordshire

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to support the architectural heritage of ecclesiastical buildings in (a) St Albans and (b) Hertfordshire; and if he will make a statement.

John Penrose: The Government supports the architectural heritage of ecclesiastical buildings in St Albans and Hertfordshire in a number of ways.
	The Department for Culture, Media and Sport operates the Listed Places of Worship Grant scheme which makes a contribution towards the VAT incurred in making repairs to the listed places of worship of any faith or denomination.
	In partnership with the Church Commissioners, the Department funds the Churches Conservation Trust (CCT) which cares for the most significant Church of England churches no longer needed for regular worship. In 2009-11, CCT spent £74,000 on repairing and maintaining its churches in the Diocese of St Albans of which £43,000 was spent on churches in Hertfordshire.
	The running and maintenance of relevant English Heritage and Heritage Lottery Fund schemes are their responsibility. I have therefore asked their chief executives to consider the question raised by the hon. Member for St Albans and to write to her direct. Copies of their replies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Culture

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will make an assessment of the contribution to the UK economy of the (a) television and radio, (b) design, (c) art and antiques, (d) architecture, (e) advertising, (f) tourism, (g) designer fashion, (h) film, video and photography , (i) music, visual and performing arts, (j) publishing, (k) software and electronic publishing and (l) digital and entertainment media industry.

Jeremy Hunt: The Department publishes statistics on the gross value added (GVA), employment and number of businesses within the creative industries. These statistics include all of the categories mentioned, apart from tourism. The latest statistics were published in December 2010 and can be found at the following link:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/publications/7634.aspx
	The Office for National Statistics Tourism Intelligence Unit have produced a Tourism Satellite Account to show how tourism contributes to the UK's National Accounts. The latest statistics were published in May 2011 and can be found at the following link:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/tsa0511.pdf

Departmental Manpower

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will make it his policy to publish monthly information on changes in the numbers of employees of his Department's agency, categorised by (a) seniority, (b) voluntary redundancy, (c) natural wastage and (d) involuntary redundancy.

John Penrose: The Department provides regular updates on The Royal Parks headcount and natural wastage through its Annual Report and Accounts, and monthly returns to the Office for National Statistics. We have no plans to provide separate detailed updates given the administrative burden this entails.

Departmental Procurement

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what provisions in respect of behavioural standards have been included in procurement contracts issued by his Department since May 2010.

John Penrose: The Department's standard terms and conditions, and those terms and conditions that we adopt from other public sector agreements, contain clauses that set out relevant standards of behaviour required, in the execution of any contract. Details of the terms and conditions for goods and services that we follow can be found on the Office of Government Commerce website at the following link:
	http://www.ogc.gov.uk/Model_terms_and_conditions_for_goods_and_services.asp

English Heritage

George Hollingbery: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what information his Department holds on the cost of (a) admission and (b) venue hire at each English Heritage site in each year since 2005.

John Penrose: The information requested is not held by this Department and relates to matters that are the responsibility of English Heritage.
	Accordingly, I have asked the chief executive of English Heritage to write direct to the hon. Member for Meon Valley.
	Copies of the reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Press

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has assessed the effect on supply to consumers of newspapers and magazines of the self-regulation of the newspaper and magazine supply industry.

Edward Vaizey: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 22 June 2011, Official Report, column 292W, to the hon. Member for Manchester, Withington (Mr Leech).

Satellites

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what progress he has made on measures to reform the global satellite orbital filing regime for the purposes of supporting UK satellite operators and the space sector's growth agenda.

David Willetts: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government are supporting Ofcom's efforts to introduce a minimum condition for bringing satellite orbit slots into use. The aim is to announce proposals for the new measures at the World Radio conference in January 2012.

Sports: Dartford

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what financial assistance Sport England has provided to community sports clubs and projects in Dartford constituency in each year since 2005.

Hugh Robertson: Sport England invests national lottery and Exchequer funding in community sport. The financial assistance awarded to community sports clubs and projects in the Dartford constituency can be found in the following tables:
	
		
			 Lottery funding Total (£) 
			 2005-06 — 
			 2006-07 — 
			 2007-08 30,000 
			 2008-09 — 
			 2009-10 12,000 
			 2010-11 1,400 
		
	
	
		
			 Exchequer funding Total (£) 
			 2005-06 194,400 
			 2006-07 255,600 
			 2007-08 — 
			 2008-09 — 
		
	
	
		
			 2009-10 60,000 
			 2010-11 —

Telecommunications: Credit

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with telecommunications companies on the introduction of a credit limit for consumers.

Edward Vaizey: No discussions have been held, as this is a commercial issue in which Government do not involve themselves. Telecommunications companies are best able to consider and decide whether they should introduce such facilities for their customers.

Video Recordings: Certification

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has set a timetable for the consultation exercise on the operation of the Video Recordings Act 1984 and 2010 following the report of the Independent Review on the Commercialisation and Sexualisation of Childhood.

Edward Vaizey: The consultation will be launched in the summer.

DEFENCE

Air Force: Redundancy

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what his most recent estimate is of the number of RAF redundancies that will be made in each category of position in each year of the comprehensive spending review period;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the likelihood that RAF personnel who have been made redundant will be re-employed on a future date in their previous roles.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 27 June 2011
	It is estimated that there will be up to 1,020 service personnel issued with a letter of redundancy in September 2011 as part of the current phase of the RAF’s redundancy programme. Those personnel notified of their redundancy will leave the RAF in either February or August 2012. Further redundancy measures will be determined once the outcome of the current phase has been fully assessed, but it is expected that the total number of RAF redundancies will be approximately 3,000 by 31 August 2013.
	Individuals who are made redundant may apply to re-join the RAF through normal channels, subject to appropriate vacancies being available.

Air Force: Training

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much funding was allocated for Royal Air Force training in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: Training in the RAF covers a wide range of activities and is continual through service life. The full costs are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) cost and (b) establishment by numbers of (i) Land Command, (ii) Navy Command and (iii) Air Command (A) is for 2011-12 and (B) was in each of the last five years.

Andrew Robathan: The estimated cost for financial year 2011-12 and personnel strength, civilian and military, as at 1 April 2011 for Top Level Budget (TLB) holders in Land Command, Navy Command and Air Command are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Land Command Navy Command Air Command 
			 Total departmental expenditure limit (£ million) 7,030 2,332 2,778 
			 Personnel strength 127,540 37,580 41,950 
		
	
	This does not include the cost of operations.
	The financial outturn and personnel strengths, civilian and military, for each of the five last years for TLB holders in Land Command, Navy Command and Air Command are shown in the following tables:
	
		
			 Outturn by financial year total departmental expenditure limit 
			 £ million 
			  Land Command Navy Command Air Command 
			 2006-07 6,297 2,148 2,686 
			 2007-08 6,504 2,185 2,635 
			 2008-09 6,724 2,185 2,733 
			 2009-10 6,635 2,223 2,812 
			 2010-11 7,273 2,303 2,837 
		
	
	The 2010-11 figures have not been audited, final figures will be provided in the 2010-11 departmental annual report and accounts. This does not include the cost of operations.
	
		
			 Personnel strength Land Command Navy Command Air Command 
			 1 April 2007 125,230 39,640 36,250 
			 1 April 2008 127,380 37,740 43,400 
			 1 April 2009 126,960 37,780 43,840 
			 1 April 2010 130,840 38,340 44,380 
		
	
	During the periods shown a number of TLBs merged; where this is the case the data have been combined.
	Data for 2006 are not held in the format required.

Armed Forces: Education

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he proposes to give priority to the children of military service personnel in school applications under the Military Covenant.

Andrew Robathan: Under the work of the Armed Forces Covenant, fair access protocols have been included within the schools admissions codes to ensure that service children are not disadvantaged in accessing school places. This will not constitute a priority over others but will include the ability to apply for a school place on receipt of a posting notice and the ability of schools to exceed admission numbers to make a place available for a service child. The Ministry of Defence will engage in the Department for Education's consultation in 2011-12 looking at admissions and the appeals process to ensure service children and their families are taken into account.

Armed Forces: Housing

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he plans to take to improve the energy efficiency of service family accommodation.

Andrew Robathan: Energy efficiency improvements are considered and undertaken as part of all works to service family accommodation where appropriate and subject to funding being secured.
	Further work, including loft insulation and new heating systems is undertaken as required.

Armed Forces: Parachuting

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of soldiers required to be fully parachute trained; and how many soldiers are in receipt of parachute pay.

Nick Harvey: The Strategic Defence and Security Review included a commitment for a high-readiness, light, short-duration intervention capability, organised and trained for parachute and air assault operations. This will result in a reduction in the number of posts requiring a parachute qualification. Details of the timing and implementation of any changes are still being worked through.
	As at 31 May 2011, 2,790 soldiers were in receipt of special pay parachute.

Defence

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what military capabilities he assesses to be (a) essential for the UK and (b) unaffordable for the UK to fund alone.

Nick Harvey: The strategic defence and security review set out the future force structure and capabilities we intend to deliver for the 2020s, and our approach to deepening relations with international partners to share capabilities, technologies and programmes.

Departmental Public Bodies

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has set a date to dispose of (a) the Met Office, (b) the UK Hydrographic Office and (c) the Base Repair and Maintenance Organisations.

Andrew Robathan: As announced in the strategic defence and security review, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) intends to sell the Defence Support Group, which incorporates the former Army Base Repair Organisation and Defence Aviation Repair Agency, by no later than the end of the current spending review period, March 2015. The MOD currently has no plans to privatise the Met Office or UK Hydrographic Office.

Departmental Security

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effects of civilian redundancies within the Ministry of Defence Police on its capacity to provide security and policing to his Department's estates and property.

Andrew Robathan: A range of options that will define the Ministry of Defence (MOD)'s future requirement for civil policing capabilities and services are currently under consideration. No final decisions have yet been taken, but we will continue to maintain effective and proportionate levels of security at all our sites to safeguard our people, assets and information.
	The current voluntary early release scheme for civilian staff in the MOD is intended to avoid the need for redundancies. Applications for early release that are submitted by MOD police officers will be considered in the context of ensuring that the future operational effectiveness of the force is not adversely affected.

Departmental Travel

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 15 June 2011, Official Report, columns 829-30W, on departmental travel, 
	(1)  what was purchased in each case; what the monetary value was of each such purchase; and what action his Department took in each case;
	(2)  what each incident was which was reported to his Department's whistleblowing hotline which resulted in staff being disciplined from May 2005 to May 2010.

Andrew Robathan: From the eight incidents reported in my previous answer, the following lists the items purchased, their value, and the action taken by the Department:
	
		
			 Items purchased Action taken Value of items (£) 
			 Not recorded (expenditure through PayPal) Disciplinary action 10.99 
			 Picture framing material Prosecution 183.00 
			 Flights Prosecution 3,786.34 
			 General personal expenditure Disciplinary action 714.11 
			 Food shopping Disciplinary action 49.17 
			 Furniture Prosecution 4,030.00 
			 Laptop and IT products Prosecution 1,600.00 
			 Not recorded (expenditure through Fly Thomas Cook.com and Money Shop) Police caution 781.50

Hampshire

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  which sites are owned by his Department within the boundaries of (a) Basingstoke and Deane borough council, (b) East Hampshire district council, (c) Eastleigh borough council, (d) Fareham borough council, (e) Gosport borough council, (f) Hart district council and (g) Havant borough council;
	(2)  which sites are owned by his Department within the boundaries of (a) New Forest district council, (b) Rushmoor borough council, (c) Test Valley borough council, (d) Winchester city council, (e) Portsmouth city council, (f) Southampton city council and (g) Isle of Wight council.

Andrew Robathan: A copy of the Ministry of Defence sites, by local council, will be placed in the Library of the House.

Iraq: Detainees

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the statement of 26 February 2009, Official Report, columns 394-7W, on records of detention (review conclusions), how many captured persons have been transferred to US forces in Iraq; and how many individuals so transferred have subsequently been transferred to the Iraqi authorities since 31 December 2008.

Liam Fox: holding answer 27 June 2011
	For the reasons set out in the statement by the then Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Hutton) on 26 February 2009, Official Report, columns 394-97, we cannot be confident that the data that we hold is entirely complete and, therefore, we are not able to provide an overall total for individuals captured by UK forces in Iraq and transferred to US forces under the previous Government. The number subsequently transferred to Iraqi authorities is primarily a matter for the US and Iraqi Governments. However, it should be noted that the review concluded UK forces exercised appropriately their responsibilities towards all captured personnel handed to US custody in Iraq, and uncovered no evidence of mistreatment.

Sussex

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which sites are owned by his Department within the boundaries of (a) Adur district council, (b) Arun district council, (c) Chichester district council, (d) Crawley borough council, (e) Horsham district council, (f) Mid Sussex district council and (g) Worthing borough council.

Andrew Robathan: A copy of the Ministry of Defence sites, by local council, will be placed in the Library of the House.

USA: Defence Academy

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the purpose was of the recent Defence Academy visit to the US;
	(2)  who participated in the recent Defence Academy visit to the US;
	(3)  what the cost to his Department was of the recent Defence Academy visit to the US.

Nick Harvey: holding answer 22 June 2011
	The recent Defence Academy visit to the US was part of the annual advanced command and staff course (ACSC) delivered by the Academy. ACSC attendees have been visiting the US for the last 10 years to examine the provenance and current status of security challenges in the USA, consider how the USA pursues its own security and provide a context for UK and international students' future work with the US military in coalition operations.
	A total of 320 students and staff from the ACSC took part in the visit which was a week long and included US Defence establishments in Washington and Norfolk, Virginia.
	Although the final cost of the visit has not been calculated at this stage because some bills are still outstanding, the cost to the Ministry of Defence is not expected to exceed £465,000. This figure covers food, accommodation, air and road transport. These costs are offset in part by income received from those overseas students, who pay to attend the course.

World War I: Anniversaries

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on the commemoration of the centenary of the outbreak of the first world war; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with his counterparts in (a) Belgium and (b) France on the commemoration of the centenary of the outbreak of the first world war; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: Traditionally, we mark the anniversary of the conclusion of a conflict rather than its beginning. However, given the importance of the centenary of the great war, it is likely that a number of anniversaries of key events from 2014 to 2018, including the beginning of the war, will be marked in an appropriate way. Government consideration of how such events will be remembered is in its early stages and we in the Ministry of Defence are in discussion with colleagues in other Government Departments on this. In time, these discussions will extend to the Belgian and French Governments.
	Further details will be announced in due course.

WOMEN AND EQUALITIES

Males: Primary Education

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what discussions she has had with the Department for Education on increasing the number of male teachers in primary schools.

Lynne Featherstone: holding answer 23 June 2011
	I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues on a range of issues.

Members: Equal Opportunities

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what progress she has made on her proposals to provide additional support for people with disabilities who wish to become hon. Members; and if she will make a statement.

Lynne Featherstone: holding answer 27 June 2011
	We have conducted a public consultation exercise, which ran from 16 February to 11 May 2011, to seek views on a range of proposals designed to help to remove barriers faced by disabled people who are seeking elected office. We are currently analysing the responses, and intend to announce the strategy later this year.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Apprentices

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 24 May 2011, Official Report, column 642W, on apprentices, how many individuals will be funded by the allocation to providers to deliver level three and above qualifications for those over the age of 24.

John Hayes: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 23 June 2011, Official Report, column 441-2W.
	In academic year 2009/10, advanced level apprenticeships made up 37% of adult starts(1). We plan to reshape the Apprenticeships programme so that advanced level becomes the level to which learners and employers aspire, and we expect the proportion of starts at this level to increase over time.
	(1 )Statistical First Release, Data Service:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current/

Business: Finance

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what grants or loans his Department has made available to (a) inward investors and (b) UK companies to (i) set up a new business and (ii) expand or consolidate existing businesses in each of the last five years.

Mark Prisk: In October 2010 the Government introduced the Regional Growth Fund, a fund of £1.4 billion available over three years to support projects and programmes with significant potential for economic growth and for creating additional sustainable private sector employment and to help those areas and communities that are currently dependent on the public sector to make the transition to sustainable private sector led growth and prosperity. The Fund is open to both UK companies and inward investors and to set up new businesses or expand or consolidate existing businesses.
	Over the period of the last five years this Department has made grants or loans available to both UK companies and inward investors to set up new businesses or expand or consolidate existing businesses by means of a number of schemes. These are set out as follows. Except where otherwise indicated, they were available over the entire period:
	regional selective assistance, via the Selective Finance for Investment in England and (from October 2008) the Grant for Business Investment schemes, and available to small businesses and those in the assisted areas;
	repayable launch investment, a risk-sharing Government investment available for the design and development of strategically important civil aerospace projects in the UK. There is no formal scheme, promotion or budget. The provision of repayable launch investment is entirely discretionary, each application is considered on its merits against a range of established criteria and also by the Treasury against public expenditure constraints and Government priorities; and
	the Automotive Assistance Programme, introduced in January 2009 and closed on 31 December 2010, made possible loan guarantees and exceptionally loans to the automotive sector.

Businesses

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will estimate the number of (a) enterprises, (b) enterprises with employees and (c) enterprises with under 250 employees in the (i) 20% most and (ii) 20% least deprived wards in England for each year since 2005.

Mark Prisk: Not all of the requested information is available. However, the following table shows the numbers of registered enterprises in England in each year that were in the 20% most deprived local authorities and the 20% least deprived local authority areas. Figures are included for enterprises with less than 250 employees, but this will include some enterprises with no employees as we are unable to separate out these from other enterprises with low employment.
	
		
			 Enterprises in the most and least deprived areas2005-10 
			20% most deprived LAs 20% least deprived LAs 
			 2005 Enterprises  289,930 267,085 
			  Enterprises <250 employees 288,105 266,060 
			 2006 Enterprises  290,935 269,745 
			  Enterprises <250 employees 289,090 268,715 
			 2007 Enterprises  294,760 275,825 
			  Enterprises <250 employees 292,940 274,795 
			 2008 Enterprises  396,605 349,495 
			  Enterprises <250 employees 394,495 348,355 
			 2009 Enterprises  396,510 348,740 
			  Enterprises <250 employees 394,395 347,555 
			 2010 Enterprises  383,620 342,920 
			  Enterprises <250 employees 381,605 341,750 
			 Note: There is a discontinuity in the series. Before 2008, UK Business covered VAT registered businesses only, but in 2008, it was extended to include all businesses registered for VAT and/or PAYE. Source: ONS UK Business publication and CLG Index of Multiple Deprivation 2010.

Departmental Redundancy

Tessa Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of redundancies in its non-departmental bodies (a) in 2011-12 and (b) over the comprehensive spending review period.

Edward Davey: holding answer 23 June 2011
	At this stage it is too early to be able to make an accurate estimate of the total cost to the public purse of redundancies in this Department's non-departmental public bodies in (a) 2011-12 and (b) over the comprehensive spending review period.

Fuels: Prices

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of supermarket pricing strategies for road fuel.

Edward Davey: None. Competition matters relating to pricing strategies fall to the Office of Fair Trading to investigate.

Fuels: Prices

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect of supermarket fuel pricing policies on independent petrol forecourt operators.

Edward Davey: None. Competition matters related to pricing policies of individual firms fall to the Office of Fair Trading.

Fuels: Prices

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had with supermarkets on their road fuel pricing policies.

Edward Davey: None. Competition matters related to pricing policies of individual firms fall to the Office of Fair Trading.

Further Education: Student Numbers

Elizabeth Truss: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the average number of students in (a) sixth form and (b) other types of further education sector colleges was (i) on the latest date for which figures are available, (ii) in 2001 and (iii) in 1991.

John Hayes: holding answer 27 June 2011
	Table 1 as follows shows further education learner participation by provider type for 2009/10 the latest year for which full year data is available. We hold data centrally for 2002/03 onwards, but not for 2001/02 or earlier.
	Additionally, table 2 as follows shows a snapshot of participation by 16-18 year olds in education by institution type in 1991, 2001 and 2009. This information is published in a Department for Education Statistical First Release called 'Participation in Education, Training and Employment by 16-18 year olds in England, which can be found at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000938/index.shtml
	
		
			 Table 1: Further education learner participation by provider type, 2009/10 
			  Age General FE college including tertiary Sixth form college Special colleges All further education learner participation 
			 2009/10 Under 19 682,240 153,850 25,330 1,095,010 
			  19+ 1,635,590 30,930 137,856 3,540,500 
			  Overall 2,317,830 184,780 163,190 4,635,510 
			 Notes: 1. Volumes are rounded to the nearest ten. 2. This data covers participation in learner responsive, apprenticeships, train to gain, adult safeguarded learning and university for industry provision, further education/learner responsive provision includes general further education colleges including tertiary, sixth form colleges—agricultural and horticultural colleges and art and design colleges, specialist colleges and external institutions. 3. Total FE provision is not the sum of general FE colleges, sixth form colleges and special colleges. Total FE provision also includes other public funded, private sector public funded and schools. Source: Individualised Learner Record 
		
	
	Data showing further education participation and achievement by provider type is available as a cascade of the Further Education and Skills Statistical First Release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on the 23 June 2011 and can be found at:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current/
	
		
			 Table 2: Participation by 16 to 18 year olds in education by institution type, 1991, 2001 and 2009 
			  General FE, tertiary and specialist colleges Sixth form colleges 
			 1991 574,600 84,200 
			 2001 480,700 120,100 
			 2009 614,200 152,300 
			 Notes: 1. Participation is based on snapshot data as at 1 November. 2. Age is based on age at the start of the academic year. 3. Participation includes both full and part-time education. Source: DfE: ‘Participation in Education, Training and Employment by 16-18 year olds in England’.

Green Investment Bank

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what criteria he plans to use to evaluate bids for the creation of the Green Investment Bank.

Mark Prisk: The location for the headquarters of the Green Investment Bank will be chosen to enable it best to deliver its mission. The criteria will be: (1) ability to deliver the Green Investment Bank mission, (2) operational costs, and (3) access to required talent. Fuller details of these criteria are set out in Section 2.8 of the “Update on the design of the Green Investment Bank” which I published on 23 May. This decision will be taken in due course.

Multinational Companies

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what definition of micro-multinational his Department uses.

Mark Prisk: BIS does not have a standard definition of a micro-multinational.
	However, this Department produces annual estimates of the number of enterprises in the UK and for these purposes a micro firm is classified as one with between zero and nine employees.
	An EU definition of a micro enterprise was adopted on 1 January 2005. It applies to all polices applied within the European Economic Area and the criteria are:
	Maximum headcount of nine (employees and self-employed)
	Maximum annual turnover of €2million (euros)
	Maximum annual balance sheet total of €2million (euros).

Outer Space Act 1986

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress he has made on implementing reform of the Outer Space Act 1986 for the purposes of capping liabilities for UK operators and reducing third party insurance requirements.

David Willetts: Officials are reviewing the Outer Space Act 1986 with a view to making changes, as stated in the Plan for Growth. A number of preliminary meetings have taken place between industry and officials and an impact assessment is nearing completion. Further details regarding process and timescales will be published in due course.

Public Sector: Procurement

Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what information his Department issues to other Government Departments and public bodies on the use of TrustMark accredited firms when letting contracts; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: TrustMark (2005) Ltd is responsible for promoting and raising awareness of the scope and benefits of the TrustMark scheme, which is geared towards the domestic repair, maintenance and improvement sector, rather than the contracting environment. Where appropriate, BIS helps TrustMark to make the necessary connections with other Departments and public bodies

South East England Development Agency: Hampshire

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which sites are owned by the South East of England Regional Development Agency within the boundaries of (a) New Forest District council, (b) Rushmoor borough council, (c) Test Valley borough council, (d) Winchester city council, (e) Portsmouth city council, (f) Southampton city council and (g) Isle of Wight council.

Mark Prisk: South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) owns the following sites within the boundaries of:
	(a) New Forest  d istrict  c ouncil:
	Hythe Marine Park
	(c) Test Valley borough council:
	Andover Innovation Centre
	(e) Portsmouth city council
	Land at Tipner
	(f) Southampton city council
	Coburg Street/Drivers Wharf, Northam
	Centenary Quay, Woolston
	(g) Isle of Wight  c ouncil
	Former North Works, East Cowes
	Island Technology Park, Whippingham
	Land at Kingston
	Land at Three Gates Road, Cowes
	Land at Lake
	Ryde Business Park
	Former West Medina Mills, Newport
	No sites owned by SEEDA are within the boundaries of Rushmoor borough council or Winchester city council.

Space Technology

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the recommendation in the Space Innovation and Growth Strategy to provide more capital guarantees and anchor tenancy agreements, including amending the policy of the Export Credits Guarantee Department to promote UK manufacturing and satellite financing in the UK.

David Willetts: The UK Space Agency is part of the industry-led implementation team that is assessing the evidence and need for more capital guarantees and will report its findings in due course. The Export Credits Guarantee Department has engaged with companies in the UK space sector about the availability of the support it can provide.

UK Trade and Investment

Sheryll Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what conferences his Department has sponsored in support of UK Trade and Industry aboard Royal Navy warships in the last 10 years.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 27 June 2011
	From information readily available, since its creation on 1 April 2008, UK Trade and Investment Defence and Security Organisation (UKTI DSO) has supported a UK/Brazil Industry and Government conference and Defence and Security Industry Day on board HMS OCEAN in Rio de Janeiro on 13 and 14 September 2010.

CABINET OFFICE

Capita

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many contracts his Department has awarded to Capita since May 2010; and what the (a) monetary value and (b) net worth was of each contract.

Francis Maude: Since May 2010, the Cabinet Office has awarded three contracts to Capita. Of these, two have individual values of £3,135 and £9,333 (excluding VAT). A third is billed on a volume-usage basis, and at the time of responding, £930 (excluding VAT) had been paid under this contract.

Civil Servants: Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what his estimate is of the number of (a) civil servants who have used facility time to attend trade union conferences, meetings and other events since January 2011, (b) hours of facility time used by civil servants since January 2011 and (c) the cost to the public purse of such time.

Francis Maude: The authority to grant facilities/time off to trades union representatives is delegated to departments; therefore individual departments are responsible for these costs. The information requested is not collected centrally.

Departmental Billing

John Denham: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many invoices received by his Department were paid (a) on time and (b) late in each month since May 2010; and what the monetary value is of the invoices paid late.

Francis Maude: The Cabinet Office aims to pay all undisputed invoices within the terms of contract, usually 30 days of receipt of a valid invoice. The Cabinet Office is additionally committed to the prompt payment code and aims to pay all correctly rendered invoices as soon as possible within both a five day and 10-day payment target. The Department's performance against the 30-day target since May 2010 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Number paid within 30-days Value of invoices paid within 30-days (£) Number paid after 30-days Value of invoices paid after 30-days (£) 
			 May 2010 1,597 24,112,721.99 3 84,932.37 
			 June 2010 1,718 27,066,743.46 5 149,319.22 
			 July 2010 1,425 49,561,354.52 6 84,932.37 
			 August 2010 1,137 15,806,854.21 6 149,373.82 
			 September 2010 1306 33,059,244.81 3 12,958.12 
			 October 2010 1154 27,361,551.13 6 70,876.06 
			 November 2010 1589 31,495,747.28 2 556.90 
			 December 2010 1406 19,209,095.10 5 3,092.82 
		
	
	
		
			 January 2011 1471 23,100,873.55 0 — 
			 February 2011 1873 23,453,967.13 11 49,108.17 
			 March 2011 1684 45,560,823.27 9 49,854.32 
			 April 2011 1300 95,514,168.03 32 129,725.50 
			 May 2011 1693 18,051,419.53 4 25,223.18 
			  19,353 433,354,564.01 92 809,952.85

EU public Procurement Policy

Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when he expects to publish the Government's response to the European Commission's consultation on the modernisation of EU public procurement policy; and if he will make a statement.

Francis Maude: The Government's response to the European Commission's consultation on the modernisation of EU public procurement policy is in the process of being finalised.
	Once finalised, the response will be published on the Cabinet Office website. It is intended this will be by the end of July 2011.

Senior Civil Servants

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the (a) name, (b) position, (c) salary and (d) date of appointment is of (i) the Cabinet Secretary and each permanent secretary in the Civil Service in receipt of a salary higher than that of the Prime Minister and (ii) each other civil service or other governmental post in receipt of such a salary.

Francis Maude: As part of the commitment to making Government more transparent and accountable, Departments are required to publish structure charts every six months showing the names, job roles and pay details for their senior staff, including Permanent Secretaries. These structure charts include information on individuals whose salary is higher than the Prime Minister’s. Departmental structure charts can be found at:
	http://data.gov.uk/organogram.
	The names and dates of appointment for Permanent Secretaries with a salary higher than the Prime Minister are set out as follows. Cabinet Office does not collect information on the dates of appointment for other senior posts in Departments.
	
		
			 Name Department/Organisation Date in post Salaries in £5,000 bands 
			 O'Donnell, Gus Cabinet Sec and Head of Home Civil Service 1 August 2005 235,000-239,999 
			 Laws, Stephen First Parliamentary Counsel—Cabinet Office 1 August 2006 225,000-229,999 
			 Gray, Bernard Chief Defence Materiel (MOD) 4 January 2011 215,000-219,999 
			 Nicholson, David National Health Service 4 September 2006 210,000-214,999 
			 Davies, Sally Chief Medical Officer 3 March 211 200,000-204,999 
		
	
	
		
			 Starmer, Keir Crown Prosecution Service 1 November 2008 195,000-199,998 
			 Singh, Dara Job Centre Plus 2 November 2009 185,000-189,999 
			 Bell, David Dept for Education 1 January 2006 180,000-184,999 
			 Chakrabarti, Suma Ministry of Justice 10 December 2007 180,000-184,999 
			 Ricketts, Peter National Security Adviser 12 May 210 180,000-184,999 
			 Brennan, Ursula Ministry of Defence 29 October 2010 180,000-184,999 
			 Devereux, Robert Dept for Work and Pensions 11 January 2011 180,000-184,999 
			 Fraser, Simon Foreign and Commonwealth Office 1 September 2010 180,000-184,999 
			 Ghosh, Helen Home Office 1 January 2011 180,000-184,999 
			 Housden, Peter Scottish Government 22 June 2010 175,000-179,999 
			 Macpherson, Nick HM Treasury 2 August 2005 175,000-179,999 
			 Strathie, Lesley HMRC (CEO) 10 November 2008 170,000-174,999 
			 Homer, Lin Department for Transport 10 January 2011 170,000-174,999 
			 Kerslake, Bob Dept for Communities and Local Government 1 November 2010 170,000-174,999 
			 Sawers, John Secret Intelligence Service 2 November 2009 165,000-169,999 
			 Beddington, John Chief Scientific Adviser—BIS 1 January 2008 165,000-169,999 
			 Wallace, Moira Dept of Energy and Climate Change 13 November 2008 165,000-169,999 
			 Hartnett, Dave 2nd PS, HM Revenue and Customs 10 November 2008 160,000-164,999 
			 Morgan, Gillian Welsh Assembly Government 1 May 2008 160,000-164,999 
			 Allan, Alex Head of Intelligence Assessment and Chair of JIC 10 December 2007 160,000-164,999 
			 Donnelly, Martin Dept for Business, Innovations and Skills 21 October 2010 160,000-164,999 
			 Hill, Bronwyn Dept for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 28 March 2011 160,000-164,999 
			 Lowcock, Mark Dept for International Development 9 June 2011 160,000-164,999 
			 O'Brien, Una Dept of Health 1 November 2010 160,000-164,999 
			 Evans, Jonathan Security Service 8 April 2007 155,000-159,999 
			 Cunliffe, Jon Head of International Economic Affairs and Europe—CO 26 June 2007 155,000-159,999 
			 Jenkins, Paul Treasury Solicitor 1 August 2006 155,000-159,999 
			 Stephens, Jonathan Dept for Culture Media and Sport 2 October 2006 155,000-159,999 
			 Robinson, Bruce Northern Ireland Civil Service 14 July 2008 150,000-154,999 
			 Heywood, Jeremy No.10 23 January 2008 150,000-154,999 
			 Scholar, Tom 2nd Perm Sec, HM-Treasury 23 March 2009 150,000-154,999 
			 Lobban, lain Government Communications Headquarters 28 August 2008 145,000-149,999 
			 Welland, Mark CSA—MOD (2nd Perm Sec) 7 April 2008 140,000-144,999

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Returning Officers: Expenditure

Andrew Selous: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much funding central Government provided for the payment of each returning officer for their services in conducting (a) elections and (b) the referendum on the alternative vote in May 2011.

Mark Harper: The maximum recoverable amounts which returning officers/counting officers are entitled to claim for their services and expenses in conducting national elections and referendums are set out in statutory orders which are made by the Minister prior to the date of the poll.
	The relevant orders are the Parliamentary Elections (Returning Officers' Charges) Order 2010 and the Referendum on the Voting System (Counting Officers' and Regional Counting Officers Charges) Order 2011 which were made respectively for the 2010 UK parliamentary election and the referendum on the voting system which took place earlier this year. These can be found at:
	http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/830/contents/made
	http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/1099/article/3/made
	The overall maximum recoverable amounts for all returning officers and counting officers that could be claimed were £2,206,955 for the 2010 UK parliamentary election and £2,469,258 for the referendum on the voting system.
	However, as the figures listed in the charges order are maximum recoverable amounts, we will only know the actual totals claimed once all claims have been received from returning officers/counting officers and settled for both polls.

Voting Rights: Prisoners

Priti Patel: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the implications for the UK of the decisions reached at the 1115th meeting of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in respect of the voting rights of prisoners; and what position the UK representative at the meeting took on the resolution and decision made in respect of the execution of the Hirst (No.2) v . United Kingdom judgement.

Mark Harper: The decision in respect of Hirst (No. 2) v. the United Kingdom was adopted by the Committee of Ministers at their 1115th meeting without discussion. It reflects the Court's judgments in that case and the case of Greens and MT v. the United Kingdom. As there was no discussion or resolution adopted there was no opportunity for the UK delegate to state a position.

Voting Rights: Prisoners

Priti Patel: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  with reference to the decision reached at the 1115th meeting of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in respect of the voting rights of prisoners and the execution of the Hirst (No.2) v United Kingdom judgement, whether he has begun preparation of the action plan to submit to the Committee of Ministers; and when he expects the action plan to be submitted to the Committee of Ministers;
	(2)  what his policy is on proposing amendments to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill to make provision to extend the franchise to prisoners; what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Justice on this issue; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Harper: The Government are considering the next steps and I will inform the House when decisions on the way forward have been reached.

Voting Rights: Prisoners

Priti Patel: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a copy of each item of correspondence between the Government and each institution of the Council of Europe in respect of the voting rights of prisoners.

Mark Harper: Information submitted to the Committee of Ministers by the UK Government on prisoner voting rights is published on its website
	http://www.coe.int/T/CM/home_en.asp

WALES

Policing and Justice

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues on policing and justice in Wales.

David Jones: Effective policing and an efficient justice system in Wales are of utmost importance to this Government. My right hon. Friend and I have had regular discussions with Cabinet and ministerial colleagues on matters affecting policing and justice, and law and order in Wales.

Departmental Billing

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many invoices received by her Department have been paid (a) on time and (b) late in each month since May 2010; and what the monetary value is of the invoices paid late.

David Jones: My department has received the following number of invoices each month since May 2010:
	
		
			  Paid on time Paid outside 10 days Monetary value 
			 May 2010 60 1 689.47 
			 June 2010 87 1 5,111.25 
			 July 2010 84 1 11,074.19 
			 August 2010 65 0 — 
		
	
	
		
			 September 2010 53 1 609.12 
			 October 2010 76 0 — 
			 November 2010 87 1 465.30 
			 December 2010 75 1 3,666.00 
			 January 2011 78 0 — 
			 February 2011 77 0 — 
			 March 2011 64 0 — 
			 April 2011 95 2 242.39 
			 May 2011 52 0 —

Devolution

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions she has had with the First Minister on the remit of a commission on devolution and funding for Wales.

Cheryl Gillan: I refer the hon. Gentleman, to my answer to the right hon. Member for Torfaen (Paul Murphy) earlier today.

Energy: River Severn

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on that Department's feasibility report on tidal energy options in the Severn estuary; and if she will make a statement.

Cheryl Gillan: I have discussed the feasibility report on tidal energy in the Severn estuary with Ministers from the Department of Energy and Climate Change.
	While the study does not set out a strategic case for public investment in a tidal energy scheme in the Severn estuary at this time, it does not rule out a barrage scheme as an option in the future, or rule out consideration of any proposals that may come forward from private investors.

Renewable Energy

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions she has had with the First Minister of the Welsh Government on the research and development of renewable sources of energy in Wales; and if she will make a statement.

Cheryl Gillan: I have regular discussions with the First Minister on energy policy and I welcome the fact that Wales is playing a key role in finding new and innovative low carbon technologies to help us meet the challenges we face.
	Wales has a number of excellent research and development facilities engaged in research on renewable energy.
	The approval by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change's for Tidal Energy Limited's 1.2 MW ‘Deltastream’ test device off the coast of Pembrokeshire is a further indication of the high quality research that is going on in Wales.

Wind Power

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions she has had with the First Minister of the Welsh Government on planning powers for on-shore wind generation projects in Wales; and if she will make a statement.

Cheryl Gillan: I have regular discussions with the First Minister about issues that affect Wales, including energy policy.
	The current planning system provides a streamlined regime that minimises delays and ensures investor confidence.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Biofuels: Timber

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will estimate the amount of wood biomass which was burnt in each year since 2007; what total subsidy was provided for biomass under the renewables obligation in each year since 2007; and how much such subsidy will be provided in each year from 2011 to 2020.

Gregory Barker: Biomass generators reported to Ofgem that some 2.14 million tonnes of wood were combusted for energy in 2009-10. This total consists of those feedstocks identified by generators as being sourced from forestry wood, recycled wood, wood and miscanthus blend, or unspecified wood. Figures for 2010-11 are expected to be published by Ofgem during the summer. Comparable information is not available before April 2009.
	Regarding the total subsidies provided for biomass (both wood and non wood sources) under the renewables obligation (RO) I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 10 March 2011, Official Report, column 1294W, regarding incentives for biomass projects between 2002-03 to 2009-10.
	The number of ROCs issued in 2010-11 is not yet confirmed by Ofgem but preliminary reports suggest just under 10 million renewable obligation certificates (ROCs) were issued for all biomass technologies under the RO last year (ie dedicated, CHP, co-firing, landfill gas, sewage gas and advanced conversion technologies). The value of the 2010-11 RO buyout price is £36.99 giving a total value of some £370 million for 2010-11 biomass generation.
	In terms of future subsidies, we anticipate that new dedicated biomass capacity in 2011-12 could result in an additional 0.8 million ROCs of support, increasing to around 3.2 million ROCs in 2012-13. Assuming the same ROC value as 2010-11, this would represent additional support of £29.6 million in 2011-12 and £118.4 million in 2012-13.
	It is not possible to estimate the total support that will be provided to biomass under the RO beyond April 2013. RO support rates for biomass electricity from April 2013-March 2017 will be decided later this year, following consultation this summer. Biomass electricity generators can also benefit from support under forthcoming electricity market reform arrangements.

Capita

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many contracts his Department has awarded to Capita since May 2010; and what the (a) monetary value and (b) net worth was of each contract.

Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change has awarded the following contracts to the Capita group companies since May 2010. The amounts shown represent payments made to date and not the full life costs which are not available:
	Capita Business Services Limited: two contracts with individual payment values to date of; £3,855 and £42,855. The total net worth is £46,710.
	Capita Resourcing Limited: four contracts with individual payment values to date of £40,824, £1,225, £47,947 and £30,704. The total net worth to date is £120,700.
	Capita Symons Limited: one contract with payments to date of £37,496.
	Capita Health Solutions: one contract with payments to date of £254.

Carbon Emissions: Industry

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what types of mitigation measures he is considering to protect energy-intensive industries from the effect of carbon price support in addition to those announced in the 2011 Budget;
	(2)  when he expects to conclude his Department's consultation with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and energy intensive industries on protecting those industries from the effect of a carbon floor price.

Gregory Barker: The Government are considering a wide range of mitigation measures to ensure British industry retains its competitiveness during the transition to a low-carbon economy. We expect to conclude our joint analysis with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in time to announce a package of measures by the end of the year.

Electricity Generation

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 7 June 2011, Official Report, column 103W, on electricity generation, when he expects to announce whether the electricity market reform proposals will be subject to the control framework for DECC-levy funded spending.

Charles Hendry: If the EMR proposals are classified as tax and spend and yet are deficit neutral then they will fall within the control framework. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is responsible for the classification of transactions, and provides the final decision on classification where Government requests this or where it decides it needs to consider a policy. A final decision would only be made once the full details of a policy have been confirmed by Government.
	In some cases the Government do treat policies as tax and/or spending ahead of a formal ONS decision. This would happen where the Government judges it can have reasonable confidence regarding the classification. In the case of the EMR proposals it remains too early for Government to make any such judgment, and/or determine whether it will request a formal ONS classification decision, as the full details of the policy are still to be confirmed.

Electricity Industry: Theft

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what information his Department holds on the (a) number of metal thefts or attempted metal thefts from the electricity industry in each region, (b) cost of repairs arising from such theft or attempted theft, (c) number of fatalities and injuries of people engaging in such theft, (d) number of prosecutions for such theft or attempted theft, (e) number of convictions for such theft or attempted theft and (f) fines levied by the regulator in each region and for each energy supplier as a result of loss of electricity supply due to such theft or attempted theft since 2005.

Charles Hendry: The Department does not collect information concerning: the number of instances; the cost of repairs; the number of fatalities or injuries; the number of prosecutions or convictions or the value of the fines levied by Ofgem, resulting from metal thefts or attempted metal thefts experienced by electricity network operators.
	The Energy Networks Association on behalf of the energy sector manage a Security Incident Reporting System (SIRS) database that collects data on security incidents experienced by electricity network operators. The vast majority of incidents recorded relate to metal theft but can also include, battery theft, vandalism, suspicious persons and suspicious vehicles. The SIRS database was commissioned on 1 September 2009, between this date and 31 January 2011 there have been 4,925 recorded security incidents.

Energy: Finance

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much funding for energy sector research and development his Department has provided to the (a) private and (b) public sector in the latest period for which figures are available.

Charles Hendry: The Department of Energy and Climate Change provided £50.8 million towards energy research and development during the financial year 2010-11. £1 million of this went to various non-private sector bodies such as universities, Research Councils and the Forestry Commission. The remaining £49.8 million was spent with the private sector.

Energy: Meters

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to establish the stakeholder group on the operational aspects of smart meter roll-out; what its remit will be; and how many members the group will have.

Charles Hendry: The Government recognise that a variety of operational issues could arise in individual cases during the rollout of smart meters. Most of these issues are well understood and are dealt with by industry as part of business as usual activities. The Government will ensure that the scale and nature of these issues are well understood by all parties and will seek assurance that appropriate plans and processes are put in place to address them.
	The March 2011 Government Response to the Prospectus Consultation proposed to establish a stakeholder group to facilitate the identification and discussion of these issues. We are considering the terms of reference and membership for this group and will publish further details shortly.

European Project Bond Initiative

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions his Department has had with the European Commission on the European Project Bond Initiative.

Justine Greening: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government's discussions with the European Commission on the EU's Project Bond Initiative are led by HM Treasury. Officials from the Department have held technical discussions with officials from the Commission and from the European Investment Bank on the financial aspects of the proposal.
	The Government are willing to consider a greater role for the EIB and the private sector in relation to infrastructure investment, in order to deliver a smaller EU budget overall.

Garages and Petrol Stations

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what information his Department holds on the number of independent filling stations in the UK in (a) 2000 and (b) 2010;
	(2)  what the Government's policy is on the future of the independent petrol and diesel filling station sector.

Charles Hendry: Data held by DECC indicate that there were 7,310 and 5,312 independently owned fuel retailer sites in 2000 and 2010 respectively.
	Independent forecourt operators make a significant contribution to ensuring the availability of fuel across the UK.
	There is a diverse, open and competitive fuel retail market which is regulated by the Office of Fair Trading, through enforcement of competition law, ensuring that markets work well for the benefit of consumers.

Natural Gas

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the (a) number of wells required for commercial extraction of the same amount of (i) shale gas and (ii) conventional gas, (b) risks presented by contaminated and abandoned sites where shale gas production is stopped and(c)availability of mechanisms to mitigate such risks; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: Shale gas has not as yet been commercially proven in the UK and it is too early to make useful estimates of the relative numbers of wells which would be required as compared to conventional gas.
	There is a robust regulatory regime in place administered by DECC, the Health and Safety Executive, the respective environment agencies, and local planning authorities to ensure that drilling sites are properly managed during the exploration and production phase and are properly decommissioned and left environmentally safe once development and production has ceased.

Natural Gas

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the average volume of (a) water, (b) chemical additives and (c) waste water generated in a hydraulic fracturing well for shale gas; whether he plans to (i) prohibit and (ii) require public disclosure of the use of any chemicals used for hydraulic fracturing; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: Operations, including water volumes, are dependent on the parameters of a specific project. There is only one active shale gas exploration project taking place in the UK at present—Cuadrilla's operations in Lancashire. For this project I understand that Cuadrilla anticipate using approximately 1,600 cubic metres of water for each hydraulic fracture operation.
	The hydraulic fracturing fluids used to date by Cuadrilla are made up as follows: fresh water and sand—99.96% and polyacrylamide friction reducers—0.04%. Other potential additives include hydrochloric acid, typically at a concentration of 0.125%, or biocide at a concentration of 0.005% if required to purify the local water supply.
	The amount of waste water generated will again be project dependent. Issues surrounding public disclosure of chemicals used in hydraulic fracture are a matter for the respective environment agencies. Cuadrilla publishes all of its chemicals on its website.

Natural Gas

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will make it his policy to implement a moratorium on shale gas activity in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: The UK has a long history of onshore gas exploration, the range of techniques employed in shale gas drilling and testing operations is broadly similar to those used for orthodox gas production, and there is a strong regulatory safety and environmental regime in place administered by the Health and Safety Executive, local authorities and the relevant environmental agencies to ensure that potential risks to safety or the environment are properly managed. On the basis of available information, the Department sees no need for a moratorium on shale gas activities in the UK.

Natural Gas

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Blackpool North and Cleveleys of 10 June 2011, Official Report, columns 549-50W, on natural gas: Fylde, whether future applications for hydraulic fracturing operations for the extraction of shale gas will also be subject to a geomechanical study, along with further work by the British Geological Survey and relevant academic institutions, before any operations are permitted; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: The geomechanical study currently being carried out is looking specifically at the geological and seismic properties of the rock strata and shale in and around Poulton-le-Fylde, and any linkages between the recent seismic tremors and hydraulic fracturing operations in the area. The study and its implications will be reviewed before any decision on the resumption of these hydraulic fracture operations is made.
	The information requirements for the consideration of future fracturing operations will depend on the findings of the current study and on the geological setting of any work proposed.

Renewable Energy

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the anaerobic digestion sector since (a) publication of the proposed tariff changes in March 2011 and (b) confirmation on 9 June 2011 of the tariff changes to take effect from 1 August 2011.

Gregory Barker: DECC Ministers and officials have had discussions with various anaerobic digestion (AD) producers and installers, gas transporters, farming and industry trade associations, research bodies and Members of Parliament. A range of issues have been covered, including advice on getting started with AD; problems with injecting biomethane into the gas grid; the drafting of the AD Strategy and Action Plan, which was published earlier this month and sets out the actions to be taken to overcome the key barriers to deployment; and the consultations on the Feed-in Tariffs (FITS) Scheme. Following the publication of the Government's decision on the fast-track review of the FITs scheme, officials contacted key stakeholders to explain the decision on the tariff changes.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Antisocial Behaviour Orders: Tooting

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many interim antisocial behaviour orders are to be withdrawn in Tooting constituency under her proposals to end such measures.

James Brokenshire: The antisocial behaviour order data collection records details of full antisocial behaviour orders issued only. It is not possible to provide data relating to interim antisocial behaviour orders. We have recently consulted on changes to the tools and powers to tackle antisocial behaviour—including the antisocial behaviour order and are currently considering the responses. The details of how the new tools and powers will work will be set out when bringing forward legislative proposals following that consultation. In the interim, powers to obtain and use antisocial behaviour orders remain in full force and effect. Practitioners should continue to use such powers where appropriate.

Arrests

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were arrested for a qualifying offence under section 7 of the Crime and Security Act 2010 between 2006-07 and 2009-10; and how many such people were charged with an offence.

Theresa May: holding answer 27 June 2011
	Section 7 of the Crime and Security Act 2010 provision was brought into effect on 7 March 2011.
	It is not possible to separately identify arrests for qualifying offences under section 7 of the Crime and Security Act 2010 from data held centrally.

Asylum: EU Countries

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will offer support to the governments of countries of southern Europe to improve their administrative capacity to deal with asylum cases; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: The Government are committed to offering the kind of support to which my hon. Friend refers.
	In the last six months, we have sent a number of asylum experts to Greece as members of EU teams coordinated by the European Asylum Support Office (EASO). Three further UK experts are due to be deployed to Greece in the next few months under the auspices of EASO to support the delivery of improvements to the asylum system there. Separately, the UK has given £238,500 to UNHCR for projects related to asylum reform in Greece.
	We have also recently assisted Malta with language analysis to help their authorities determine asylum seekers' countries of origin more effectively, and have made clear both to Malta and Italy our willingness to provide further practical support should it be necessary.

Burglary: Warrington

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences of burglary were recorded in Warrington North constituency in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

James Brokenshire: Offences recorded by the police in England and Wales are not available at constituency level. Figures are collected at community safety partnership (CSP) level, which broadly equate to local authority areas.
	The Warrington North constituency comes within the Warrington CSP and the requested figures on recorded burglaries are given in the table. Local police recorded crime statistics broken down by offence group and local authority area are available on the Home Office website via the following web address:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/science-research/research-statistics/crime/crime-statistics-internet/
	
		
			 Numbers of burglary offences recorded by the police in the Warrington CSP, 2008  -  10 
			 Offence 2008 2009 2010 
			 Burglary in a dwelling 815 879 723 
			 Burglary in a building other than a dwelling 850 746 779 
			 Total burglary 1,665 1,625 1,502

Crime Prevention: Business

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to reduce the number of small businesses affected by crime.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office co-chair the National Retail Crime Steering Group, the national partnership to tackle retail crime. Membership is drawn from across the retail sector, but includes small business representation from the Federation of Small Businesses and the Association of Convenience Stores in particular.
	The Steering Group is delivering a work plan focused on the key crime priorities that affect retailers. This includes strengthening local partnerships between businesses and law enforcement agencies; taking steps to develop safe working and trading environments; supporting designing out crime techniques and working with the criminal justice system to ensure that effective sanctions and deterrents to retail crime are available.
	The National Retail Crime Steering Group also considers business sector interaction with the Government's reform programme, including the recent consultation on “A More Effective Response to Antisocial Behaviour” and the introduction of Police and Crime Commissioners.

Crime Prevention: Young People

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding her Department has allocated to the Positive Futures programme in (a) 2011-12, (b) the preceding three years and (c) the remaining years of the comprehensive spending review period.

Theresa May: holding answer 23 June 2011
	The total Home Office allocation for the Positive Futures programme in 2011-12 is £5,707,000.
	The allocations for the preceding three years were as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			 2010-11 5,999,000 
			 2009-10 5,999,000 
			 2008-09 5,988,469 
		
	
	These figures include funding for the management and monitoring and analysis services.

Crimes of Violence: Havering

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to tackle violent crime in the London borough of Havering.

James Brokenshire: Operational decisions regarding violent crime in Havering are for the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis and the London borough of Havering to agree between them.

Cybercrime

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate she has made of the cost to the UK of cyber crime.

Theresa May: holding answer 28 June 2011
	The Cost of Cyber Crime, a report published in February 2011 by the Office of Cyber Security and Information Assurance in the Cabinet Office, in partnership with Detica, estimates the most likely cost to the UK economy as £27 billion per annum.

Demonstrations: Buckingham Palace

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she had with (a) the Metropolitan Police and (b) the Royal Parks Agency on protests Republic plans to hold outside Buckingham Palace.

Nick Herbert: There were no such discussions with the Metropolitan police or the Royal Parks Agency about the protest by Republic on 25 June 2011.

Domestic Violence: EU Law

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 13 June 2011, Official Report, column 653W, on domestic violence, which articles of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence she supports in their present form.

Lynne Featherstone: Pursuant to the answer of 13 June 2011, Official Report, column 653W, the process of considering the articles is continuing and we are not yet in a position to make the final decision on signature and ratification. We are reviewing whether the requirements of the Convention are best placed to support our existing work to tackle violence against women and girls and domestic violence in the UK.

Drugs: Misuse

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what estimate her Department has made of the number of young people regularly using substances which may result in legal highs;
	(2)  what recent research her Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effects on users of substances which may provide legal highs.

James Brokenshire: Preliminary findings from the 2009-10 British Crime Survey (BCS) ‘Drug Misuse Declared’ report (based on six months data) showed that 1.2% of young people aged 16 to 24-years-old used ‘Spice’ in the last year (or another synthetic cannabinoid), 1.4% used BZP (Benzylpiperazine) and 0.5% used GBL/GHB (Gammabutyrolactone/Gammahydroxybutrate).
	It is important to note that these substances were brought under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 in December 2009, part way through the reporting period. The results were published in July 2010 and are available at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/crime-research/hosb1310/hosb1310
	Estimates based on a full year of data for all ‘legal high’-type drugs included in the BCS (including mephedrone) will be available in the ‘Drugs Misuse Declared 2010-11’ report, to be published in July 2011.
	The Home Office has not commissioned or evaluated any research on the effects on users of any new psychoactive substances (termed ‘legal highs’). The Home Office has requested that the Advisory Council Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) consider a number of individual new psychoactive substances (and where appropriate, the family of related substances). The ACMD reports have made an assessment of the harms of these substances to users based on available evidence as well as recommendation for their control under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and can be found at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/agencies-public-bodies/acmd/reports- research/

Extradition: USA

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the operation of the UK-US Extradition Treaty.

Theresa May: holding answer 27 June 2011
	I refer the right hon. Member to the answer of 18 October 2010, Official Report, column 521W. The US-UK extradition treaty is one of the matters being considered by the extradition review panel. The panel is expected to report back to the Government by the end of the summer 2011.

Fixed Penalties

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were rearrested after the issue of a (a) fixed penalty notice, (b) non-endorsable fixed penalty notice and (c) penalty notice for disorder within six months of the issue of the notice in each financial year since 2007-08; and in how many such cases the individual was subsequently dealt with (i) by the courts and (ii) by the issue of a further penalty notice.

Nick Herbert: Information on re-arrests is not collected centrally.
	The Home Office holds statistics on the number of fixed penalty notices issued for motoring offences and their outcomes. The Ministry of Justice holds statistics on fixed penalty notices for disorder.
	From these data, it is not possible to separately identify persons issued with further fixed penalty notices after an original offence.
	Published data on notices issued and outcomes, taken from the Home Office bulletin ‘Police Powers and Procedures 2009-10’ and the Ministry of Justice bulletin ‘Criminal Statistics, England and Wales’, are available in the Library of the House. For convenience, copies of the most recent published data for both types (including those unpaid fines pursued by the courts), from 2007 onwards (calendar year) are provided in the tables.
	
		
			 Fixed   p  enalty   n  otices for motoring offences by result, 2007 to 2009 
			 Outcome 2007 2008 2009 
			 Paid within 28-days 1,796,779 1,563,456 1,365,238 
			 Payment accepted after 28-days 581,446 510,719 501,736 
			 Fine registration certificate issued(1) 200,650 185,667 171,128 
		
	
	
		
			 Process issued(2) 6,228 6,140 6,355 
			 No further action taken 52,407 44,069 40,535 
			 Outcome not finalised 11,677 9,070 6,251 
			 Total notices 2,649,187 2,319,121 2,091,243 
			 (1) Unpaid fines increased by 50% after deadline is passed. (2) Unpaid fines referred to courts for prosecution. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2.4: Number of penalty notices for disorder issued to all persons aged 16 and over, by age group and year, 2005-09  (1)   England and Wales 
			     Of those paid 
			 Year and age group Number issued Total paid in full % Paid in full within 21 days % Paid in full outside 21 days % 
			 2005        
			 16-17 year olds 12,454 7,024 56 5,182 42 1,842 15 
			 18 and over 134,027 70,223 52 51,641 39 18,582 14 
			 All ages 146,481 77,247 53 56,823 39 20,424 14 
			         
			 2006        
			 16-17 year olds 19,598 11,096 57 8,135 42 2,961 15 
			 18 and over 181,599 93,450 51 68,456 38 24,994 14 
			 All ages 201,197 104,546 52 76,591 38 27,955 14 
			         
			 2007        
			 16-17 year olds 19,246 11,096 58 8,437 44 2,659 14 
			 18 and over 188,298 95,829 51 73,696 39 22,133 12 
			 All ages 207,544 106,925 52 82,133 40 24,792 12 
			         
			 2008        
			 16-17 year olds 14,497 8,368 58 6,371 44 1,997 14 
			 18 and over 161,667 82,921 51 64,873 40 18,048 11 
			 All ages 176,164 91,289 52 71,244 40 20,045 11 
			         
			 2009        
			 16-17 year olds 11,737 6,961 59 5,383 46 1,578 13 
			 18 and over 158,656 83,155 52 64,451 41 18,704 12 
			 All ages 170,393 90,116 53 69,834 41 20,282 12 
		
	
	
		
			  Other outcomes 
			 Year and age group Fine registered % Court hearing requested % PND cancelled % Potential prosecution % Outcome unknown % 
			 2005           
			 16-17 year olds 4,549 37 144 1 266 2 157 1 314 3 
			 18 and over 57,630 43 1,444 1 2,171 2 1,648 1 911 1 
			 All ages 62,179 42 1,588 1 2,437 2 1,805 1 1,225 1 
			            
			 2006           
			 16-17 year olds 7,598 39 125 1 486 2 250 1 43 0 
			 18 and over 80,198 44 1,355 1 3,782 2 2,460 1 354 0 
			 All ages 87,796 44 1,480 1 4,268 2 2,710 1 397 0 
			            
			 2007           
			 16-17 year olds 7,120 37 99 1 638 3 289 2 4 0 
			 18 and over 82,937 44 1,154 1 4,611 2 3,691 2 76 0 
			 All ages 90,057 43 1,253 1 5,249 3 3,980 2 80 0 
			            
			 2008           
			 16-17 year olds 5,474 38 82 1 362 2 205 1 6 0 
		
	
	
		
			 18 and over 70,681 44 980 1 3,727 2 3,309 2 49 0 
			 All ages 76,155 43 1,062 1 4,089 2 3,514 2 55 0 
			            
			 2009           
			 16-17 year olds 3,898 33 61 1 297 3 509 4 11 0 
			 18 and over 63,748 40 836 1 3,889 2 6,748 4 280 0 
			 All ages 67,646 40 897 1 4,186 2 7,257 4 291 0 
			 (1) Percentages may not add up due to rounding

Foreign Workers: EU Nationals

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 21 June 2011, Official Report, column 191W, on foreign workers: EU nationals, what (a) representations and (b) correspondence she has received on extension of the transitional arrangements for payment of benefits to migrant workers from EU accession states.

Damian Green: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions’ earlier reply addressed the question of benefits. The transitional arrangements to which that reply referred are concerned specifically with access to the labour market. The labour market restrictions currently applied to Bulgarian and Romanian nationals may be extended to the end of 2013 if to do otherwise would result in serious labour market disturbance. The Government have asked the Migration Advisory Committee to review the labour market case for maintaining the restrictions and it will be appropriate for the Committee to consider any representations which are relevant to its terms of reference.

Human Trafficking: EU Law

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what date she plans to implement each requirement of the EU Directive on Human Trafficking.

Theresa May: holding answer 23 June 2011
	The Government are applying to the European Commission to opt in to the EU Directive on human trafficking. Subject to its acceptance, we will implement the requirements of the directive within two years.

Immigration

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the implications for immigration policy of the absence of a standard definition of habitual residency.

Damian Green: Access to income-related benefits administered by the Department for Work and Pensions is subject to the habitual residence test. This includes meeting the requirement to have a right to reside in the UK. This test is intended to exclude from these benefits those who do not have a settled intention to remain in the UK. In addition, those subject to immigration control who have no access to public funds are prevented from accessing income-related and non-contributory benefits by section 115 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.
	There is no evidence that the absence of a standard definition of habitual residence has implications for immigration policy. Nevertheless, the UK Border Agency works in cooperation with relevant Government Departments, including the Department for Work and Pensions, in managing the impact of immigration on public services.
	I also refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions, the right hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling) on 21 June 2011, Official Report, column 192W. The Department for Work and Pensions is responsible for conducting checks on habitual residence.

Knives: Crime

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police forces have received funding allocated for the prevention of knife crime since April 2011; and how much funding was allocated in each case.

Theresa May: holding answer 23 June 2011
	A total of £3.75 million is being made available over two years, from April 2011, to three police forces areas where more than half of the country's knife crime occurs—London, Greater Manchester and the West Midlands. In London, the money is to be paid via the Greater London Authority.

Metals: Theft

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress she has made in developing a plan to tackle the issue of metal theft; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: The Government are concerned at the extent of metal theft and the serious impact it can have on the national infrastructure and on local communities. The Home Office is working closely with the police (through the ACPO Metal Theft Working Group) to tackle this criminality and to reduce the stolen goods market that drives it. We are currently exploring what other action can be taken to reduce metal theft.

National Crime Agency

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the introduction of a Border Police Command within the National Crime Agency will involve a transfer of responsibilities from the UK Border Agency.

Theresa May: holding answer 28 June 2011
	The National Crime Agency Plan sets out the Government's plan for creating a Border Policing Command.

Police: Borders

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent progress she has made on the Government's plans for a Border Police Force.

Theresa May: holding answer 27 June 2011
	The National Crime Agency (NCA) Plan sets out the Government's plan for creating a Border Policing Command.
	The NCA Plan can be found at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/crime/nca-creation-plan

Police: Helicopters

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police helicopters have been available to police forces (a) in each year since 2010 and (b) in 2011 to date.

Theresa May: holding answer 27 June 2011
	In 2010, the police forces of England and Wales had access to 31 helicopters operating from 29 bases. In 2011, there are currently 30 helicopters operating from 28 bases.

Third Sector

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the nature is of the (a) one-stop services and (b) wrap-around programmes funded by her Department and provided by charities in the last three years.

Damian Green: holding answer 17 June 2011
	The information is as follows:
	(a) One Stop Service (OSS) This service involves the provision of independent advice by voluntary sector organisations to asylum seekers and refugees within the UK.
	The OSS focuses on providing assistance to asylum seekers who either are or have been supported by the UK Border Agency. This is achieved both through direct service provision by the Voluntary Sector organisations involved and indirectly by them facilitating capacity-building in other organisations which supply services to asylum seekers and refugees.
	OSS services include:
	Initial Assessment Functions This relates to determining the requirements of the asylum seeker/refugee and the most appropriate action to be followed thereafter.
	Support and Advice Functions
	This will include reporting to the UK Border Agency any relevant change in an asylum seekers circumstances, assistance to asylum seekers in completing applications for financial support, assistance in responding to requests for information made by the UK Border Agency, finding reputable legal help and accessing statutory and other voluntary services.
	Move-On Functions
	For those receiving refugee status supplying impartial advice to such refugees about the options available to them including, but not limited to, assistance with accessing statutory support such as housing provision.
	Capacity Building Functions
	Establishing what services are being provided regionally and working with other organisations to ensure that services are delivered in a co-ordinated way.
	Addressing any gaps in service provision.
	Developing local community support and social cohesion by supporting voluntary services to asylum seekers, supporting community and Refugee Community Organisations. Assisting in the introduction and/or enhancement of non UK Border Agency funded support and advice services for asylum seekers in the region through the provision of information, education and training and by developing partnerships.
	(b) Wrap-Around Services
	This service involves the supply of advice and assistance to asylum seekers who require support in the form of accommodation and financial assistance.
	It involves the performance of a number of processes connected with an asylum seeker's stay in Initial Accommodation. These include:
	Assisting asylum seekers in the completion of applications for support This is in connection with support for both accommodation and financial assistance which is provided by separate providers and UK Border Agency respectively.
	Briefing asylum seekers
	This includes an orientation briefing which explains asylum and support processes and the rights and responsibilities of asylum seekers in the UK. This is supported through the provision of UK Border Agency paper material and a dispersal briefing (supplying information connected to the asylum seekers long stay/dispersal accommodation)
	Question and Answer/Problem Solving Sessions
	These provide information about asylum and support-related matters and also information about processes relating for example to racial harassment, domestic violence and accessing health advice.
	Supporting UK Border Agency processes
	This facilitates the different processes (asylum, legal assistance, health) that asylum seekers are required to engage with while in Initial Accommodation.
	Annual Workplans are submitted by the Voluntary Sector organisations providing the services. These Workplans detail how the above requirements will be met. The UK Border Agency monitors actual performance against plan and feeds back the results to the relevant Voluntary Sector partners.

HEALTH

Aortic Aneurysm: Screening

Neil Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps his Department has taken to encourage NHS trusts to apply to take part in the NHS Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening Programme;
	(2)  what provision the NHS has made for screening of men aged over 65 for abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Simon Burns: Since its announcement in 2008, the Department
	has funded the implementation of the NHS Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening Programme and remains committed to ensuring it is fully implemented across England by the end of March 2013.
	“The Operating Framework for the NHS in England 2011-12” sets out expectations for the NHS to support Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening. Specifically it states that primary care trusts are expected to:
	continue screening for programmes that are currently operational;
	implement screening as planned for the 2011-12 phases; and
	develop a robust implementation plan for 2012-13, ensuring surgery providers fulfil the requirements for implementation of screening.
	Following the review of evidence by the UK National Screening Committee, it concluded that screening should be offered routinely to 65-year-old men, however men over 65 could self refer into the programme. All local programmes are accepting self referrals from men over 65 and a large number of these have been screened following successful local publicity initiatives supported by the national programme.

Baby Care Units: Finance

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding he plans to provide to existing neonatal networks in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15.

Anne Milton: Funding for neonatal networks is not set centrally by the Department It is for the national health service to determine how best to allocate funding, including funding for neonatal services.

Departmental Billing

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many invoices received by his Department have been paid (a) on time and (b) late in each month since May 2010; and what the monetary value is of the invoices paid late.

Simon Burns: The Department paid 204,519 invoices in the period from 1 May 2010 to 31 May 2011. Of these, 1,070 (0.52%) were paid later than the contracted 30 days. The total value of invoices paid late in the period was £44.8 million.

General Practitioners: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GPs there are per head of population in (a) Bexley, (b) Greenwich, (c) Bromley and (d) West Kent primary care trust area.

Simon Burns: Data for the four primary care trusts (PCTs) as requested, as at 30 September 2010, are shown in the following table. This excludes retainers and registrars.
	
		
			  All general practitioners (GPs) (excluding retainers and registrars) headcount  (1) All GPs (excluding retainers and registrars) headcount per 100,000 population 
			 Bexley Care Trust 118 52.2 
			 Bromley PCT 215 69.3 
			 Greenwich Teaching PCT 157 69.4 
			 West Kent PCT 415 61.1 
			 (1) The new headcount methodology for 2010 data is not fully comparable with previous years data due to improvements that make it a more stringent count of absolute staff numbers. Further information on the headcount methodology is available in the Census publication. Headcount totals are unlikely to equal the sum of components. Notes: 1. Data as at 30 September 2010. 2. GP per head of population figures have been calculated using Office for National Statistics resident population estimates. Data Quality: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data but responsibility for data accuracy lies with the organisations providing the data. Methods are continually being updated to improve data quality where changes impact on figures already published. This is assessed but unless it is significant at national level figures are not changed. Impact at detailed or local level is footnoted in relevant analyses. Sources: 1. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care General and Personal Medical Services Statistics 2. Office for National Statistics, 2009 Final Mid-Year Population Estimates (2001 census based), Adjusted May 2010 to reflect revisions to migration methodology

Hampshire and Sussex

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  which sites his Department and its sponsored bodies own within the boundaries of (a) Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, (b) East Hampshire District Council, (c) Eastleigh Borough Council, (d) Fareham Borough Council, (e) Gosport Borough Council, (f) Hart District Council and (g) Havant Borough Council;
	(2)  which sites his Department and its sponsored bodies own within the boundaries of (a) New Forest District Council, (b) Rushmoor Borough Council, (c) Test Valley Borough Council, (d) Winchester City Council, (e) Portsmouth City Council, (f) Southampton City Council and (g) Isle of Wight Council;
	(3)  which sites his Department and its sponsored bodies own within the boundaries of (a) Adur District Council, (b) Arun District Council, (c) Chichester District Council,(d)Crawley Borough Council,(e)Horsham District Council,(f)Mid Sussex District Council and(g)Worthing Borough Council.

Simon Burns: The Department or its sponsored bodies are the freehold owners of properties in the council areas are as follows:
	Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council:
	St Michael's Hospice, Aldermaston Road, Basingstoke
	New Forest District Council:
	Land at Michigan Way, Totton
	Southampton City Council:
	Southampton Blood Centre, Coxford Road, Southampton
	The Department or its sponsored bodies do not own properties in the other council areas referred to.

Health and Social Care Bill

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what legislative precedents he considered to inform his decision to propose the recommittal of certain parts of the Health and Social Care Bill to the Public Bill Committee.

Simon Burns: Parliament agreed to a partial recommittal of the Health and Social Care Bill. I refer the hon. Member to my speech of 21 June 2011, Official Report, column 198.

Health and Social Care Bill

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he held with the Prime Minister on the proposed recommittal of some of the clauses of the Health and Social Care Bill to the Public Bill Committee prior to the Bill’s recommittal.

Simon Burns: The Secretary of State for Health meets with the Prime Minister on a regular basis to discuss a range of issues.

Health Services: Greater London

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the number of health care professionals who will (a) retire, (b) take voluntary redundancy and (c) lose their jobs in (i) London, (ii) the London Borough of Newham and (iii) West Ham constituency in the next 12 months.

Simon Burns: This information is not collected centrally. The hon. Member may wish to approach the organisations concerned for the information requested.

Health Services: Learning Disability

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effects of the introduction of GP consortia on services for those with learning disabilities.

Paul Burstow: The Health and Social Care Bill 2011 Impact Assessment summarises the benefits of handing commissioning responsibility to clinical commissioning groups. General practitioners (GPs) see 800,000 people a day/300 million people a year and play a pivotal role in helping to coordinate national health service care. The GP role is particularly prominent for people with learning disabilities, and in helping patients to access wider or more specialised NHS services through the thousands of referral decisions they make on a daily basis.

Home Care Services: Older People

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to respond to the Equality and Human Rights Commission report on care for people aged over 65 in England; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: There can be no place for poor quality care in care services. Dignity and respect are the cornerstones of good-quality care.
	We welcome the interim findings of the Equality and Human rights Commission report on home care. We will respond to the final report when it is published in November this year. This report and others will help drive up standards in care and expose bad practice.
	We will publish a White Paper setting out the Government's plans for reforming social care—this will include measures designed to improve the quality of care and support services.

Maternity Services

Andrew Bingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the role of midwife-led birthing centres; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: Midwife-led birthing centres provide care for women assessed as being at low risk of complications. The Department has commissioned the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit to undertake a research study, entitled ‘Birthplace’, which will compare the outcomes of births planned at home, in different types of midwifery unit, and in hospital units with obstetric services. This is a three-year study, with a report expected in autumn 2011.

Maternity Services: High Peak

Andrew Bingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will take steps to ensure that the engagement and consultation on the future of the Corbar Birthing Unit in High Peak will be (a) open to and (b) responsive to the views submitted by the local community;
	(2)  how many mothers were transferred from the Corbar Birthing Unit in High Peak to other hospitals due to complications during birth in each of the last five years.

Anne Milton: The information requested on how many mothers were transferred from the Corbar Birthing Unit in High Peak to other hospitals due to complications during birth in each of the last five years is not collected by the Department.
	While consultation on national health service reconfiguration is a matter for the local NHS, the Secretary of State for Health has outlined new strengthened criteria he expects decisions on NHS service changes to meet. All service reconfiguration proposals must:
	demonstrate support from general practitioner commissioners;
	ensure arrangements for public and patient engagement, including local authorities should be further strengthened;
	ensure greater clarity about the clinical evidence base underpinning proposals; and
	take into account the need to develop and support patient choice.

Mental Health Services

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effects of cognitive behavioural therapy on the underlying causes of anxiety and depression in children and adults.

Paul Burstow: The Department's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is funding a range of research on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for anxiety and depression in children and adults. For example, the NIHR Health Technology Assessment programme is funding a £2.6 million trial of brief psychodynamic psychotherapy, CBT and treatment as usual in adolescents with moderate to severe depression attending routine child and adolescent mental health clinics.

Mental Health Services: Greater London

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will estimate the change in funding in real terms for mental health services in (a) London, (b) the London borough of Newham and (c) West Ham constituency in the next four years;
	(2)  how much funding was allocated to mental health services in (a) London, (b) the London borough of Newham and (c) West Ham constituency in the last four years.

Paul Burstow: This information is not held centrally.
	It is currently for primary care trusts to commission services to meet the health care needs of their local populations, taking account of local and national priorities. PCTs recurrent revenue allocations are not broken down by service or policy area.
	The hon. Member may, therefore, wish to contact the chief executive of Newham PCT for further information about PCT funding for local mental health services.

Mental Health Services: Greater London

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many mental health professionals were employed by the NHS in (a) London, (b) the London borough of Newham and (c) West Ham constituency in the last four years.

Simon Burns: Information is not collected in the format requested.
	The following table provides the numbers of medical staff within the psychiatry specialty group and non-medical qualified nursing and scientific, therapeutic and technical staff within psychiatry areas of work in the London Strategic Health Authority area, Newham University Hospital National Health Service Trust and Newham Primary Care Trust (PCT) for each of the last four years.
	
		
			 Hospital and Community Health Services medical staff within the psychiatry specialty group and non-medical qualified nursing and scientific, therapeutic and technical staff within psychiatry areas of work in England, London Strategic Health Authority area and organisations in West Ham constituency—as at 30 September each year 
			 Headcount 
			   2007 2008 2009 2010 (1) 
			 England Medical staff in the psychiatry group of specialties 9,554 9,739 9,934 9,731 
			  Qualified nursing staff(2) 56,117 56,310 55,851 54,145 
			  Qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff(3) 8,452 8,889 9,848 10,195 
			       
			 London Medical staff in the psychiatry group of specialties 2,329 2,348 2,408 2,377 
			  Qualified nursing staff(2) 10,631 10,576 10,012 9,667 
			  Qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff(3) 2,485 2,639 3,033 3,096 
			       
			 Newham University Hospital NHS Trust Medical staff in the psychiatry group of specialties 1 2 1 2 
			  Qualified nursing staff(2) 1 1 0 0 
			  Qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff(3) 0 0 0 0 
			       
			 Newham PCT Medical staff in the psychiatry group of specialties 0 0 0 0 
			  Qualified nursing staff(2) 6 7 7 4 
			  Qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff(3) 40 35 36 29 
		
	
	
		
			 (1) The new headcount methodology for 2010 data is not fully comparable with previous years data due to improvements that make it a more stringent count of absolute staff numbers. Headcount totals are unlikely to equal the sum of components. Further information on the headcount methodology is available in the census publication at the following address: www.ic.nhs.uk/webfiles/publications/010_Workforce/nhsstaff0010/Census_Bulletin_March_2011_Final.pdf (2) Community Psychiatry, Other Psychiatry, Community Learning Disabilities, Other Learning Disabilities qualified nursing staff. (3) Clinical psychology, Psycho-therapy qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff. Data Quality: The national health service information centre for health and social care seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect or missing and invalid data but responsibility for data accuracy lies with the organisations providing the data. Methods are continually being updated to improve data quality. Where changes impact on figures already published, this is assessed but unless it is significant at national level figures are not changed. Impact at detailed or local level is footnoted in relevant analyses. Sources: 1. The National Health Service Information Centre for health and social care Medical and Dental Workforce Census 2. The National Health Service Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census

Monitor

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to publish details of the future role of Monitor.

Simon Burns: On 23 June 2011 the Government tabled proposed amendments to the Health and Social Care Bill in relation to the future role of Monitor. This followed the Government’s response to the Future Forum report. There will be opportunity for further debate and scrutiny of Monitor’s role during the public Bill Committee.

NHS Future Forum

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what process he followed to appoint the independent members of the NHS Future Forum.

Simon Burns: In order to take full advantage of the natural break in the passage of the Health and Social Care Bill, the Government assembled an independent advisory panel—the NHS Future Forum—at pace.
	The guiding principle for appointments to the NHS Future Forum was to ensure that, while not designed to be a representative body, its membership included a wide range of different voices from and around the national health service.
	While members brought their own professional expertise, their task was to engage with staff, patients, communities and organisations from across the NHS, to reflect on that engagement and to make recommendations for improvements to the legislation where necessary.

NHS Future Forum

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) time, (b) date and (c) location was of each event attended by (i) Ministers and (ii) members of the NHS Future Forum as part of the NHS listening exercise.

Simon Burns: As part of the listening exercise, the ministerial team, along with members of the NHS Future Forum, have attended 252 listening events, to listen to views of the public, staff and patients. In addition to these events, Ministers and Future Forum members will have listened to many other individuals through their own networks and through informal conversations; we do not however have records of all such engagements.
	A copy of the NHS Listening exercise table of events has been placed in the Library.

NHS Future Forum

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his contribution of 14 June 2011, Official Report, column 646, on NHS Future Forum, whether the principles and rules for co-operation and competition include the preferred provider model.

Simon Burns: The Principles and Rules for Co-operation and Competition (PRCC) were revised in July 2010 to make clear the Government's commitment to any qualified provider. Principle five of the PRCC sets out that:
	“commissioners and providers should promote patient choice, including—where appropriate—choice of Any Willing Provider and ensure that patients have accurate, reliable and accessible information to exercise more choice and control over their health care.”

NHS: Conditions of Employment

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received on the potential effects of his planned reforms of the NHS on the (a) pay and (b) terms and conditions of NHS staff.

Simon Burns: Since 1 January 2011 there have been five parliamentary questions relating to the potential effects of the planned reforms on the pay or terms and conditions of national health service staff.
	We are not able to say how many items of correspondence we have received as the Department does not index correspondence at a level to allow this. Departmental records show that, since 1 January 2011, we have received over 3,500 items of correspondence about the modernisation of the NHS. This figure represents correspondence received by the Department's central correspondence team only.
	The Department is also working in partnership with NHS employers and trade unions to develop a HR Framework to support the implementation of the reforms.

NHS: Future Forum

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will estimate the monetary value of office space and facilities made available by his Department to the NHS Future Forum and its staff between 4 April and 14 June 2011;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the monetary value of support provided by staff of his Department to the NHS Future Forum;
	(3)  what the costs were of (a) room hire and (b) catering in respect of his Department's NHS listening events;
	(4)  pursuant to his contribution of 14 June 2011, Official Report, column 657, on NHS Future Forum, under what budget headings the costs of the NHS listening exercise were incurred.

Simon Burns: The costs of the NHS listening exercise were recorded under the budget headings of event related cost, printing and expenses.
	The office space and facilities provided for the NHS Future Forum and its support staff by the Department was from within existing office space and facilities available in the Department and added no additional cost to the public purse.
	The secretariat support for the NHS Future Forum provided was from within existing Department staffing levels and added no additional cost to the public purse.
	Up until 23 June 2011, the costs of room hire and catering in respect of NHS Future Forum events during the NHS listening exercise for which the Department has been invoiced, are £27,248.63. The Department was not invoiced separately for room hire and catering in relation to these events.

NHS: Innovation

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he takes to (a) promote and (b) fund innovation in the NHS.

Simon Burns: The national health service has a proud history when it comes to innovation and is recognised as a leader in the development of innovative techniques and technologies—stretching back across its 63-year history. However, whilst the NHS is recognised as a world leader at invention, the spread of those innovations within the NHS has often been too slow, and sometimes even the best of them fail to achieve widespread use.
	As United Kingdom public services face a tougher financial climate, innovation has a vital role to play to continue improving the quality of care for patients, and support the NHS as a major investor and wealth creator in the UK.
	This is why in the plan for growth we announced that the NHS chief executive would review how the adoption and diffusion of innovations could be accelerated across the NHS. Working in consultation with industry, academia and other interested parties the NHS chief executive will produce a report in November 2011 that will inform the strategic approach to innovation in the modernised NHS.
	However, there is already a substantial amount of work underway to create conditions for innovation to flourish including; Regional Innovation Funds to innovation in front line staff, Innovative Technology Adoption Procurement programme to encourage NHS-wide adoption of high impact innovative medical technologies NHS innovation challenge prizes to reward ideas that tackle big health and challenges now and in the future.
	We also know that adoption is dependent on a culture that embraces innovation, the coalitions modernisation agenda will encourage an NHS that is more agile, more dynamic, more open to ideas and better at adopting new technologies.
	Subject to legislation, the NHS Commissioning Board will have new legal duties to promote research and innovation in the NHS. This will enable the NHS to fulfil its role in delivering better healthcare outcomes and to act as an engine for economic growth. It will achieve this by supporting development and adoption of new healthcare or health service related technologies, techniques and processes, whilst providing a market for the new products and services and supporting business, especially small to medium enterprises, to deliver this.
	The Government have also committed an additional £10 million over the next two years to small business research initiative to address healthcare challenges, make it easier for firms, and small firms in particular, to access the NHS.
	However, we need to go further and faster if we are to effectively address significant challenges facing health and social care—now and in the future. Innovation is an essential tool in helping address the challenges of an ageing population, chronic disease, health inequalities and rising public expectations—especially when resources are constrained.

NHS: Labour Mobility

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff who have been made redundant by primary care trusts have been re-employed within the NHS (a) directly and (b) on a temporary or contract basis in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Simon Burns: The estimated number of staff who have been made redundant by primary care trusts between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2010 and have been re-employed within the NHS on a permanent basis is 40 and on a fixed term basis is 20.
	These estimates are based on data extracted from the Electronic Staff Record Data Warehouse and therefore do not include staff who may have been re-employed by general practices, or Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust or Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

NHS: Manpower

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the potential effect of his planned reforms to the NHS on the number of staff employed by the NHS in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The information requested is not currently available.
	As part of the 2011-12 operating planning process, the Department is collecting plans and projections on the Hospital and Community Health Services workforce which include the forecast pay bill up to March 2015 from strategic health authorities. This information will be published in the summer.

NHS: Reorganisation

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultation he held on NHS reform prior to the publication of the White Paper Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: As set out in the Government's Code of Practice on Consultation, published by the previous administration in July 2008, consultation by the Government should take place when there is clarity about what is being proposed. The Government therefore held a three-month consultation on the White Paper as soon as the White Paper was published in July last year.

NHS: Reorganisation

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what travel and subsistence costs were incurred by (a) Future Forum members and (b) officials supporting the Future Forum in relation to the NHS listening exercise;
	(2)  what arrangements he put in place for payment of members of the NHS Future Forum; and whether these arrangements included payment of locum costs for clinical staff.

Simon Burns: The Department did not put in place arrangements to pay members of the NHS Future Forum, who volunteered their time to support the NHS Listening Exercise. However, the Department put in place arrangements so that members of the NHS Future Forum could claim travel and subsistence relating to their attendance at events during the NHS Listening Exercise.
	With prior agreement, NHS Future Forum members were also able to claim costs of locum cover where this was necessary to enable their attendance at Forum meetings.
	In addition, the Department made arrangements to compensate the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations, a registered charity, for loaning their chief executive, Sir Stephen Bubb, for the period the NHS Listening Exercise so that Sir Stephen was able to act as chair for the Forum's workstream on choice and competition.
	To date (up until 23 June 2011) the expenses and locum fees invoiced by the 45 members of the NHS Future Forum, which were incurred during the eight-week period of the NHS Listening Exercise, are £12,937.00; the breakdown of which is £9,794.70 for expenses and £3,142.30 for locum costs. The entitlements to claim were in line with the departmental standard rates and the sums have been met from the Department's allocated budget.
	Travel and subsistence costs for staff supporting the NHS Future Forum were in line with the departmental standard rates and were met by the Department's existing staffing budget.

Organs: Donors

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have registered for organ donation using driving licence application forms since the introduction of that facility.

Anne Milton: The information is provided in the following table.
	
		
			 Number of people in the United Kingdom on the Organ Donor Register as at 23 June 2011 by source of registration 
			 Source class Number of registrations Percentage of total 
			 Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency 8,744,996 48.3 
			 General practitioner registration 4,162,359 23.0 
			 Boots 1,251,952 6.9 
			 Online 606,659 3.4 
			 Leaflet 1,070,710 5.9 
			 Organ donor line 80,792 0.4 
			 Other 2,188,054 12.1 
			 Total 18,105,522  
			 Source: NHS Blood and Transplant

Patients: Safety

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 21 June 2011, Official Report, columns 262-3W, on NHS Trusts, which of the NHS trusts subject to the national review of costs associated with private finance initiative schemes have raised patient safety concerns related to their financial situation with (a) the strategic health authority and (b) his Department.

Simon Burns: Work on the tripartite formal agreements between all the remaining national health service trusts, strategic health authorities and the Department has not yet been completed. When these have been finalised and the agreement has been signed by all parties, they will be published locally. Each agreement will identify the issues each national health service trust faces and the actions that will establish them as sustainable providers of high quality health care. This will include those who are part of the current review of the issues associated with private finance initiative schemes.
	More generally, there will be no ‘lowering of the bar’ in respect of standards required by Monitor to achieve foundation trust status, particularly in the way that quality of care is considered during the application process.

Primary Care Trusts: Expenditure

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has (a) spent to date and (b) allocated for future expenditure for (i) redundancy payments, (ii) pay in lieu of notice and (iii) additional payments to pension schemes for staff from primary care trusts.

Simon Burns: Audited 2010-11 data on primary care trust (PCT) redundancy payments is not yet available. Figures will be available once the NHS (England) Summarised Accounts are audited, signed and laid before Parliament in late July.
	The Impact Assessments (IA) published alongside the Health and Social Care Bill in January 2011, copies of which have already been placed in the Library, estimated the costs of modernising the NHS and reducing administration costs. This included the redundancy costs associated with reducing the size of the workforce. The redundancy cost estimates include redundancy payments, pay in lieu of notice and payments to pension schemes.
	The cost estimate associated with these redundancies was in the range of £772 million to £1,288 million in PCTs and strategic health authorities (SHAs).
	There is no central money set aside for redundancy costs in PCTs and SHAs. The Operating Framework for the NHS in England 2011-12 requires PCTs to hold 2% of their revenue allocation to support the costs of change, including the redundancy costs associated with modernising the NHS. This equates to £1,600 million in 2011-12 and, potentially, a similar sum in 2012-13. Not all of this resource will be required for redundancy costs.

Psychiatry

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what consultation the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence had with psychotherapy professionals in developing its guidelines on psychotherapy;
	(2)  what consultation with professional organisations in the field of psychotherapy the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence undertook when developing its guidelines on psychotherapy.

Paul Burstow: This is a matter for the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) as an independent body. I have asked the chief executive of NICE to write to the right hon. Member with this information. A copy of that letter will be placed in the Library.

Radiotherapy

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many cancer networks include at least one radiotherapy centre that offers intensity-modulated radiotherapy;
	(2)  what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of breast cancer patients suitable for treatment with intensity-modulated radiotherapy;

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the proportion of commissioners who have developed local plans to ensure the use of intensity-modulated radiation therapy where appropriate, as set out in the NHS Operating Framework 2011-12;
	(2)  with reference to Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer, what progress his Department has made in developing a tariff for (a) radiotherapy and (b) intensity-modulated radiation therapy; and when he expects to set those tariffs;
	(3)  pursuant to the answer of 25 October 2010, Official Report, column 127W, on radiotherapy, what recent progress the National Radiotherapy Dataset project team has made on improving the collection of data on intensity-modulated radiotherapy provision.

Paul Burstow: Expert opinion has suggested that 30%, of breast cancer patients would benefit from a simple form of Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT). A trial is underway to establish the evidence base for the use of IMRT to treat breast cancer.
	“The Operating Framework for the NHS in England 2011-12” sets out that, to improve outcomes from radiotherapy treatment for cancer patients, commissioners should develop local plans to ensure that access rates to radiotherapy and the use of advanced radiotherapy techniques, such as IMRT, are appropriate for their populations. The National Cancer Action Team has been working with providers to support the development of IMRT services and, at this time, 20 of the 28 cancer networks have at least one provider offering IMRT.
	It is anticipated that national currencies for radiotherapy and IMRT will be introduced for contracting in April 2012, with prices agreed locally. Feedback from the service on the use of these currencies will inform decisions on when it would be appropriate to introduce a mandatory national tariff, which is likely to be no earlier than 2013-14.
	The Radiotherapy Clinical Information Group will publish a report on the first full year of radiotherapy data collection shortly. This will show the progress made on the collection of IMRT data as part of the National Radiotherapy Dataset.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Departmental Offices

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the total is of (a) staffing and (b) other costs of his Department's offices in (i) Belgium, (ii) Italy, (iii) France, (iv) Switzerland and (v) the US in each of the last five years.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not maintain its own offices in Belgium, Italy, France, Switzerland or the United States. However, there is a small number of DFID staff working in these countries to represent UK interests and promote the Government's international development priorities in a number of international organisations. These include a range of United Nations agencies (Italy, France, Switzerland and the US), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (France), the European Union (Belgium), the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (Switzerland), and the Global Fund to fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Switzerland).
	The following table sets out the costs of this representation in 2009-10 and 2010-11. Current reporting systems do not provide consistent financial information for financial years prior to 2009-10.
	
		
			   £000 
			 Year Country Total staffing costs  (1) Total other costs  (2) Total running costs 
			 2009-10 Belgium 419 27 446 
			  Italy 176 393 569 
			  France 219 551 770 
			  Switzerland 200 0 200 
			  United States 80 128 208 
			      
			 2010-11 Belgium 227 39 266 
			  Italy 161 250 411 
		
	
	
		
			  France 196 221 417 
			  Switzerland 134 0 134 
			  United States 170 130 300 
			 (1) Staffing costs include salaries and allowances to DFID staff. (2) Other costs include contributions to office running costs and payments to locally employed staff.

Developing Countries: Health Services

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will increase the proportion of official development assistance that is allocated as budget support in order to assist developing countries in covering (a) health workers' salaries and (b) other recurrent costs of their healthcare systems.

Andrew Mitchell: We do not have a central process to determine the amount of aid to allocate through different aid modalities. We make decisions based on each country context.
	The Bilateral and Multilateral Aid Reviews, of March 2011, presented an ambitious re-orientation of Britain's development assistance: from focusing on inputs to focusing on results and value for money.
	Country Offices in their Operational Plans (2011-12 to 2014-15) have presented how they will achieve development results to change the lives of the poor.
	We will provide budget support when we assess that it can achieve better results and value for money than other ways of delivering aid. The Department for International Development (DFID) estimates that around 25% of its aid to health is spent on human resources for health.

Developing Countries: Health Services

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to support developing countries which are expanding and strengthening their health workforce (a) under the Millennium Development Goals and (b) as part of the Global Strategy for Women and Children's Health.

Stephen O'Brien: The UK Government fully recognise the central importance of health workers in accelerating progress towards our health goals, and are strongly committed to strengthening health systems, and to supporting health workers as part of this. The Department for International Development (DFID) estimates that around 25% of its aid to health supports human resources for health.
	We will continue to help countries to develop their own healthcare systems in a way that suits their needs and contexts, including support to country efforts to build and maintain health worker capacity.

Developing Countries: Health Services

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to ensure equitable access to health services for the poorest women and their children in (a) developing countries and (b) rural areas of developing countries.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) is ensuring equitable access to health services by improving the coverage and quality of health services, especially in rural areas. In particular, we are investing heavily in services which will improve maternal health outcomes and tackle malaria.
	To make sure these services reach the poorest women and their children, we are also helping remove the barriers that stop these vulnerable groups from accessing care. For example, over the last year DFID has supported the launch of free health care for pregnant women and children in Sierra Leone. As a result, the number of children under five receiving health care has tripled and the number of maternity emergencies treated in health units has increased by 150%.

Developing Countries: Malnutrition

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of children under the age of five in developing countries who die in conditions where undernutrition is a major contributory factor.

Stephen O'Brien: UK support over the next four years will stop 10 million more children going hungry in countries with a high burden of malnutrition in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. A growing portfolio of nutrition-related programmes will focus on reaching pregnant women and children under the age of five. Programmes include treatment for severe acutely malnourished children and prevention for example by providing support for breastfeeding and nutrition supplements. Other programmes address the underlying causes of undernutrition, such as lack of access to food, via cash transfer and agriculture programmes. A research programme will address evidence gaps on the most cost-effective solutions.
	The UK wants an effective international response to tackle undernutrition and is active in the Scaling Up Nutrition initiative (SUN). SUN supports countries to develop their own comprehensive nutrition programmes aimed at tackling undernutrition in the first "1000 days" from conception to child's second birthday.

EDUCATION

Academies

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to fund the refurbishment and rebuilding of academies; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: There are a number of Academies that have had capital funding approved for new or refurbished buildings through the Building Schools for the Future programme. Projects of this nature, which started under the previous Government and are now confirmed, will continue to completion.
	Priority is being given to meeting urgent building condition needs and the basic need for new pupil places because of local demographic changes. An £85 million Academies Capital Maintenance Fund is available for the purposes of addressing urgent building condition needs. The first round of applications to the fund closed on 27 May 2011. Partnerships for Schools is currently assessing these applications and will notify Academies of the outcome by the end of June.
	The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), ordered a comprehensive review of all the Department's capital programmes last year, which reported on 8 April 2011. The Department's response to the review, which is planned for later this year, will inform how we provide capital funding to Academies in future years, including any for new buildings and refurbishment projects.

Academies: Sheffield

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the contribution of the Minister of State of 16 June 2011, Official Report, column 938, on academies (funding), which schools in the city of Sheffield area will become academies under his proposals.

Nick Gibb: On 16 June 2011, Official Report, column 938, during the debate on academy funding, I referred to the announcement by the Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), to extend the academies programme to underperforming primary schools, particularly the 200 worst-performing primary schools in England. The Department does not intend to publish a list of these schools.

Adoption

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many placement orders have ended before adoption has been granted in each year since 2004-05.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 23 June 2011
	The number of children whose placement orders ended before an adoption order was granted is shown in table 1, along with the number of children who ceased to be looked after while subject to a placement order other than those who were adopted. Placement orders were introduced in December 2005; therefore the first full year for which this information is available is the year ending 31 March 2007.
	In addition to the children whose placement orders ended before an adoption order was granted, there were 190 children in the year ending 31 March 2010 who were no longer placed for adoption but continued to be looked after under a placement order.
	Information on the number of children no longer placed for adoption was available for the first time in 2010.
	
		
			 Table 1: Children looked after whose placement orders ceased during the year ending 31 March  (1,2,3,4)   years ending 31 March 2007 to 2010, coverage: England 
			 Numbers 
			  2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 Children whose placement order ceased and continued to be looked after under a different legal status 10 40 60 80 
		
	
	
		
			 Children who ceased to be looked after while subject to a placement order, other than those who were adopted(5) 10 20 40 20 
			 (1) Figures exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short term placements. (2) Historical data may differ from older publications. This is mainly due to the implementation of amendments and corrections sent by some local authorities after the publication date of previous materials. (3) All figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. (4) Placement orders were introduced in December 2005 and replaced Freeing orders which unlike placement orders cannot be rescinded. (5) This includes children who ceased to be looked after for the following reasons: died, care taken over by another local authority h the UK, returned home to live with parents, residence order granted, special guardianship order granted, moved into independent living arrangement or ceased to be looked after for any other unspecified reason. Source: SSDA 903

Business: Education

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will estimate the proportion of young people who participated in enterprise awareness activities in schools in each year since 2005.

Nick Gibb: The Department does not collect this information.
	An independent evaluation of the Enterprise Education programme was published in July 2010.

CAFCASS: Manpower

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how many people of each (a) grade and (b) responsibility were employed by the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service in 2010;
	(2)  how many staff (a) joined and (b) left the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) in each CAFCASS region in 2010.

Tim Loughton: These questions relate to operational matters for which CAFCASS is responsible. CAFCASS's chief executive, Anthony Douglas has written to the hon. Member to address the issues raised. A copy of his letter has been placed in the House Libraries.
	Letter from Anthony Douglas, dated 28 June 2011
	I am writing to you in response to the two Parliamentary Questions that you tabled recently:
	PQ62669—Mr Elfyn Llwyd (Dwyfor Meirionnydd): To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many people of each (a) grade and (b) responsibility were employed by Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Services in 2010.
	Cafcass does not employ people on a grade basis; the table below breaks down employees by responsibility as at 31 December 2010.
	
		
			 Grade Head c  ount 31 December 2010 
			 Business Support such as Office Managers and administrators 313 
			 Cleaners 7 
			 Family Court Advisors 1,110 
			 Bank FCAs and Sessional Workers who work on a case by case basis 170 
			 Heads of Service 32 
			 Senior Managers 22 
			 Service Managers 137 
			 Specialist Staff with specialist skills such as Finance, HR, etc. 139 
			 Family Support Workers 94 
			 Total 2,024 
		
	
	PQ 62670—Mr Elfyn Llwyd (Dwyfor Meirionnydd): To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many staff (a) joined and (b) left Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Services (CAFCASS) in each CAFCASS region in 2010.
	
		
			 Starters and leavers by region January to December 2010 
			 Region Starters Leavers 
			 North 44 109 
			 Central 79 102 
			 South 99 104 
			 National Office 32 34 
			 Total 254 349

Departmental Written Questions

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education to what proportion of parliamentary questions for written answer his Department has responded (a) on the date for answer, (b) less than five days after the date for answer, (c) between five and 10 days after the date for answer and (d) more than 10 days after the date for answer in each month since May 2010.

Tim Loughton: The Department aims to answer named day questions on the date specified by the Member and ordinary questions within five sitting days. Where it is not possible to provide a full answer within the usual deadline, the Department believes it will usually be preferable to provide a full answer a few days late than to provide an incomplete answer.
	The management information on PQ performance is recorded to capture PQs that have been answered within the deadline; answered between six and 10 days of the deadline; and 10 days after the deadline. Therefore this table combines the answers to parts (b) and (c) of the question.
	
		
			 Ordinary written PQs 
			 Percentage 
			  Met parliamentary deadline Less then five days and five to   10   days after the date for answer 10 days or longer after the p  arliamentary deadline 
			 May 2010 25 61 14 
			 June 2010 2 35 63 
			 July 2010 1 31 68 
			 August 2010 n/a n/a n/a 
			 September 2010 2 6 92 
		
	
	
		
			 October 2010 5 20 75 
			 November 2010 7 13 87 
			 December 2010 0 6 94 
			 January 2011 1 16 83 
			 February 2011 1 2 97 
			 March 2011 12 51 37 
			 April 2011 66 24 9 
			 May 2011 24 58 18 
		
	
	
		
			 Named day PQs 
			 Percentage 
			  Met parliamentary deadline Less then five days and five to   10   days after the date for answer 10 days or longer after the   p  arliamentary deadline 
			 May 2010 34 44 22 
			 June 2010 18 44 38 
			 July 2010 8 21 70 
			 August 2010 n/a n/a n/a 
			 September 2010 11 9 80 
			 October 2010 6 6 78 
			 November 2010 9 25 66 
			 December 2010 4 11 85 
			 January 2011 2 25 73 
			 February 2011 6 3 90 
			 March 2011 18 60 21 
			 April 2011 33 45 22 
			 May 2011 26 45 29 
		
	
	These figures are drawn from the Department's PQ tracking system. The figures have been drawn from the Department's database which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Nadhim Zahawi: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many young people received more than £1,000 in education maintenance allowance in 2009-10.

Nick Gibb: This is a matter for the Young People’s Learning Agency (YPLA) who operate the education maintenance allowance for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener, the YPLA’s chief executive, has written to the hon. Member for Stratford on Avon with the information requested.
	Letter from Peter Lauener dated 21 June 2011
	I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question that asked;
	"How many young people received more than £1,000 of education maintenance allowance in 2009-10."
	The number of young people who received weekly payments during the 2009-2010 academic year totalling more than £1000 was 153,798. Including bonus payments the figure was 296,802.

English Baccalaureate

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will monitor the (a) effect on the number of schools offering full course GCSE Religious Education and (b) other effects of his proposed arrangements for the humanities element of the English baccalaureate.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 22 June 2011
	We do not currently collect systematic data on detailed subject option choices offered by schools or the choices pupils make on their GCSE subjects. However, the Department has work under way to assess whether and how the English baccalaureate has influenced the GCSE choices made in schools from September 2011. We will use this, together with a range of other information sources, to inform future policy development.

Free School Meals

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the average cost per meal was of free school meals in each local authority in each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: This information is not collected by the Department. However, the School Food Trust publishes information annually on meal prices in primary, secondary and special schools. This information for 2009-10 can be found in Table 10 of the “Fifth annual survey of take up of school lunches in England” report, available at:
	http://www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/school-cooks-caterers/reports/fifth-annual-survey-of-take-up-of-school-meals-in-england
	The survey does not specifically ask for free school meal prices, but the Trust advises that the price of a paid-for school meal can be used to indicate the value of a free school meal.

Free School Meals: Kent

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many pupils were eligible for free school meals in (a) Kent and (b) Dartford constituency in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Gibb: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		
			 State-funded primary and secondary schools  (1, 2, 3)   and special schools  (4)  : Free school meal eligibility  (5, 6)  . As at January 2011. In Kent local authority and Dartford parliamentary constituency 
			  Stale-funded primary schools  (1, 2) Stale-funded secondary schools  (1, 3) Special schools  (4) 
			  Number on roll  (5) Number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming   for   free school meals  (5, 6) Percentage known to be eligible for and claiming for free school meals  (5, 6) Number on roll  (5) Number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming   for   free school meals  (5, 6) Percentage known to be eligible for and claiming for free school meals  (5, 6) Number on roll  (5) Number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming   for   free school meals  (5, 6) Percentage known to be eligible for and claiming for free school meals  (5, 6) 
			 Kent local authority 106,298 16,217 15.3 81,714 9,435 11.5 2,763 872 31.6 
			 Dartford parliamentary constituency 8,304 1,111 13.4 6,800 596 8.8 293 82 28.0 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes primary academies. (3) Includes city technology colleges and secondary academies. (4) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools, excludes general hospital schools. (5) Includes sole and dual (main) registrations. (6) Pupils known to be eligible for and claiming for free school meals who have full-time attendance and are aged 15 or under, or pupils Source: School Census 
		
	
	The latest information, for January 2011, on free school meal eligibility and other school and pupil information can be found at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001012/index.shtml

Further Education: Barnsley

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will take steps to increase access to further education for 16 to 18-year-olds in Barnsley.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 21 June 2011
	The Government have already taken steps to enable more 16 to 18-year-olds to access further education and training. In Barnsley, the majority of 16 and 17-year-olds are already participating in education and work based education or training: 79% at the end of 2009.
	The process of offering 16 and 17-year-olds a suitable place in education or training by the end of September, which has been known as the 'September Guarantee', will continue. In Barnsley 97.8% of 16 and 17-year-olds received such an offer in 2010.
	We are funding more education and training places than ever before, which is a very high priority as we prepare for raising the participation age to 17 in 2013 and 18 by 2015. In total we will be funding over 1.3 million places in schools, colleges and other providers and a further 230,000 apprenticeship places during the 2011/12 academic year. This is sufficient to provide a place in education or training for every young person who wants one. In Barnsley, 16-18 school and further education providers have been allocated funding to support a further 267 student places in 2011/12 than this year.
	From September 2011, those young people who are facing genuine financial barriers to participation in education or training post 16 will be able to apply for financial support from the new £180 million 16-19 Bursary Fund.
	Local authorities will retain their statutory duty to encourage, enable or assist young people's participation in education or training. Using funding from the new Early Intervention Grant, they will be able to intervene early with those who are at risk of disengagement and provide the tailored support that young people in their area need to engage.

Primary Education: Yorkshire and the Humber

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many primary schools in (a) North East Lincolnshire, (b) North Lincolnshire and (c) Hull were below the Government's primary minimum floor standard in each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: The numbers of schools below the Government's primary minimum floor standards in each of the last five years are:
	
		
			  2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 
			 (a) North East Lincolnshire 5 9 15 14 14 
			 (b) North Lincolnshire 4 8 7 10 10 
			 (c) Kingston upon Hull 9 11 18 23 26 
		
	
	The primary floor standard combines measures of attainment and progression and was introduced in November 2010. The 2010 floor standard has been applied to previous years, including attainment and progression for 2009 and 2010 and attainment only for the previous three years as progression data are not available.

Religion: Education

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment his Department has made of the effect of excluding religious education (RE) from the English baccalaureate on the number of students studying full course RE at GCSE level.

Nick Gibb: We do not currently collect systematic data on the choices pupils make on their GCSE subjects. However, the Department has work under way to assess whether and how the English baccalaureate has influenced the GCSE offer made in schools from September 2011. We will use this, together with a range of other information sources, to inform future policy development.

Schools: Admissions

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many representations he has received from local authorities in support of the abolition of admissions forums to date.

Nick Gibb: We have had a number of discussions at official level, which highlighted the very mixed view on the effectiveness of admissions forum. Some have said they are very useful and always quorate, other local authorities have found the forums to be costly and unproductive. As was made clear during the Commons stages of the Education Bill, we are not proposing the abolition of admission forums. Instead, clause 34 of the Education Bill would remove the mandate on every local authority to set up an admissions forum, leaving the local authority and their communities to decide what groups are most appropriate for their circumstances. This does not reduce parental voice in the admission system. Parents will still have the right to be consulted on admission arrangements, to object to any they consider are not compliant with the code, and they retain the right to appeal against a decision not to offer them a place at one of their preferred schools.

Schools: Assessments

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  whether he plans to provide unique pupil numbers on future releases of school examinations data;
	(2)  what steps he plans to take to promote more do-it-yourself league tables of educational performance.

Nick Gibb: We want to make it easier for parents and the public to hold schools to account, giving them access to more information about every school and how it performs, to make a positive impact on the choices that parents make. An important element of this will be the provision of information in a way that allows parents to ask the questions that are most important to them.
	From January 2012, the tables will include the publication of a wider range of KS4 indicators than ever before and increasing amounts of data released from the National Pupil Database. To allow a greater level of interrogation and to enable alternative league tables to be produced, further work is being undertaken to ensure that the release of the data required for such a purpose is compliant with the Data Protection Act. The release of unique pupil numbers is not required to facilitate the production of alternative league tables and the Department has no plans to release publicly personal and identifiable data including unique pupil numbers alongside examinations and test data.

Schools: Catering

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many (a) free schools and (b) academies do not have catering facilities.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 27 June 2011
	The majority of the Free Schools hoping to open in September 2011 will have catering facilities. Information on catering facilities at Academies is not held centrally.

Schools: Standards

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many (a) state schools, (b) independent schools and (c) faith schools have been placed in special measures by Ofsted in each of the last five years; and how many have been closed for reasons of poor performance in each such year.

Nick Gibb: Data from 2005/06 to 2009/10 on state and faith schools which have been placed in special measures and those that have closed has been placed in the House Libraries.
	Independent schools are not subject to special measures. Instead, the Department takes regulatory action against schools where there is evidence that a school is not meeting the Independent School Standards.

Schools: Vocational Guidance

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment he has made of the capability of local authorities to fulfil their statutory duties to provide careers guidance to pupils in schools and sixth form colleges.

John Hayes: holding answer 10 June 2011
	The Department for Education has not conducted any formal assessment of the capability of local authorities to fulfil their statutory duties to provide careers guidance to pupils in schools and sixth form colleges. They are funded through the Early Intervention Grant to support young people's participation, including their transitional responsibility for careers guidance in advance of new arrangements coming into effect in 2012. It is for local authorities to decide how they should make arrangements for supporting young people's participation, taking into account the needs of their local communities.

Schools: Vocational Guidance

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has for the allocation of funding for the schools element of the all-age careers service; and if he will make a statement.

John Hayes: holding answer 10 June 2011
	The level of the Dedicated Schools Grant and Pupil Premium in 2011-12 has been announced. There are no amounts within these totals ring fenced or separately identified for any purpose; it will be for schools to determine how they use their resources, including for securing access to careers guidance.

Schools: Vocational Guidance

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether face-to-face professional careers guidance is to be guaranteed prior to the introduction of the National Careers Service.

Nick Gibb: Local authorities retain their responsibility to enable, encourage and assist young people's participation in education or training, including through the provision of careers guidance. It is for local authorities to determine how best to do so, taking into account local priorities and the needs and circumstances of young people in their area. The Early Intervention Grant will support local authorities' transitional responsibilities for careers guidance until the new arrangements are in place.
	The Department for Education website sets out the Government's expectations of local authorities and schools in relation to careers guidance over the next 18 months, through to 2012. This will allow them to make their own transitional arrangements.
	http://www.education.gov.uk/16to19/careersguidance/a0064052/the-role-of-schools-and-local-authorities-in-careers-guidance

Vocational Guidance

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what discussions he has had with professional careers advisers about the proposed careers summit.

John Hayes: Numerous discussions have taken place with careers professionals about the careers summit through the direct involvement of their representative bodies, including the National Connexions Network and the Local Authority Reference Group, in planning for the event. Plans are well advanced for the event, which is scheduled to take place in July, and invitations will be issued shortly.

Vocational Guidance

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the ability of the all-age careers service to provide statistical information on the education, employment and training outcomes of young people aged 16 to 19 years.

John Hayes: holding answer 10 June 2011
	The all-age careers service will not be responsible for providing statistical information on the education, employment and training outcomes of young people aged 16 to 18 years. Local authorities have—and will retain—responsibility for enabling, encouraging and assisting young people’s participation in education and training, including maintaining effective records and reporting on the activities of young people in their area.

Vocational Guidance

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many qualified careers advisers were employed in the careers service (a) in Nottinghamshire and (b) nationally in each of the last two years.

John Hayes: holding answer 10 June 2011
	The Department for Education does not hold information on the number of advisers employed by local services.